Healthy Eating Patterns During a Lifestyle Intervention (HEP)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Weight Loss; Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Eating Frequency

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01682317

UTK IRB# FWA 6629

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to address the gap in knowledge regarding the relationship between eating frequency and weight loss.

Full description

Little intervention research has been conducted to examine the influence of eating frequency (EF) on weight loss. It has been hypothesized an increased EF improves appetite control, assisting with better regulation of energy intake, thus decreasing body mass index. Unfortunately, outcomes have not shown greater appetite control with increased EF. Instead, trends favor a lower EF reducing energy intake thereby producing greater weight loss than a higher eating frequency. Thus, a lower eating frequency may lower energy intake via behavioral mechanisms. At thit time no research has examined the behavioral mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between a lower eating frequency and superior adherence to an energy-restricted diet.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age between 18 and 65 years
• healthy overweight and obese men and women
• body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 45 kg/m squared

Exclusion criteria

• report a heart condition, chest pain during periods of activity or rest, or loss of consciousness on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR- Q)
• report being unable to walk for 2 blocks (1/4 mile) without stopping
• are currently participating in a weight loss program and/or taking weight loss medication or lost > 5% of body weight during the past 6 months
• diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes
• have had bariatric surgery or are planning to have bariatric surgery in the next 4 months
• intend to move outside of the metropolitan area within the time frame of the investigation
• are pregnant, lactating, < 6 months post-partum, or plan to become pregnant during the investigation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Three Meal

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this condition will be instructed to limit their number of eating frequency to three meals per day.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Eating Frequency

Grazing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the increased eating frequency condition will be instructed to eat \> 100 kcals every 2-3 hours.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Eating Frequency