Published in the journal Circulation on Monday, a recent report has been claiming that social media can play a major role in curbing health problems like obesity.

The American Heart Association is of the belief that a large count of people, including children, spend big time on Facebook and Twitter-like social utilities, which can be used as a platform to fight childhood obesity.

It is being said that if online campaigns are organized using these social networking sites, the 95% of teens, approximately, between 12 and 17 years in age, who use the same may get benefitted. They might prevent themselves from getting obese or would probably spread the information to others, thereby preventing the occurrence of the disease.

Though, Internet-based obesity interventions have so far helped a little in bringing improvement in preventative health behavior. This was because of limited amount of work accomplished to expand the interventions. It is the belief of the association that more efforts into the same may prove promising.

However, more research is being demanded so as to confirm if social media would be helpful in reducing the occurrence of disease.

"Future work should address whether engagement within a social network either increases the effectiveness of these interventions or promotes greater sustainability", Duke University's division chief of pediatric cardiology Dr. Jennifer Li affirmed.