Issue of
January 13, 1999
 
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Volunteers needed for
study of long-term weight loss
Although being overweight
is associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke
and adult-onset diabetes, losing even a modest amount of
weight -- say fifteen pounds -- can reduce these risks by
lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. However,
people often find that maintaining even a modest weight
loss is extremely difficult. This winter and spring,
Stanford researchers will examine two new behavioral
approaches to long-term weight loss.
"We are only
beginning to learn what sorts of strategies can help
people maintain weight loss over the long haul,"
said Michaela Kiernan, PhD, research associate at the
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention and
principal investigator of the Stanford Healthy Weight
Project. "This study answers a call from national
experts in cardiovascular disease, nutrition and obesity,
who have identified research on behavioral approaches
that improve long-term weight loss as an area of critical
priority," said Kiernan, a specialist in behavioral
aspects of nutrition, physical activity and weight loss.
Related
Information:
All study participants
will be randomly assigned to one of three study groups
and asked to visit the clinic four times over the course
of the study. Two study groups will also attend
behavioral weight-loss classes. Participants in the
"Smart Consumers" class will learn how to
critically evaluate information presented in the media on
weight loss, such as the pros and cons of eating Olestra
and other fat substitutes. Participants in the
"Taste-Based Choices" class will learn how to
reduce their feelings of deprivation by improving the
taste of low-fat foods and by choosing which of their
favorite high-fat foods to eat in moderation. The third
group of participants, the control group, will only make
the clinic visits. At the end of the study, the
researchers will assess whether participants kept off the
weight they lost (expected to be approximately 15 pounds)
during the twelve months after the classes end.
Study participants in the
behavioral weight-loss groups will attend classes on
either Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Fourteen classes will be held over a period of six
months, beginning in early March. Participants' weight,
blood pressure, aerobic fitness and dietary habits will
be assessed during four clinic visits, and feedback will
be provided. All assessments, materials and classes are
free of charge.
Kiernan's research is
funded by a five-year First Independent Research Support
and Transition (FIRST) Award from the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of
Health.
Healthy men and women who
would like to lose 15 pounds and whose present weight
falls within the ranges in the adjacent chart are
encouraged to volunteer for this project. Participants
must be over age 25 and must not be diabetic. Interested
individuals will be screened over the telephone and asked
to fill out questionnaires on their dietary attitudes and
habits to determine whether they are eligible for
participation. To obtain more information or to
volunteer, call Peggy Raymond, recruitment coordinator of
the Stanford Healthy Weight Project, at (650) 725-0916.
SR
ELIGIBILITY WEIGHT CHART
Height Weight (lbs.)
5: 138 - 179
5'1": 143 - 185
5'3": 152 - 197
5'5": 162 - 210
5'7": 172 - 223
5'9": 182 - 236
5'11": 193 - 250
6'1": 204 - 265
6'3"+: 216 - 280
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