Aiming to lose weight? Publicise your goals on social media! The study from the University of California Irvine examines the role of virtual communities and public commitment in setting and reaching weight loss goals. Our research finds that individuals are more likely to realize success with personal goals when they make a public commitment to attaining them said Tonya Williams Bradford study co-author. By sharing success and setbacks in virtual support communities on social media we found people are achieving better results. This works especially well with goals like weight loss where before and after images can be shared online