NIH TO DEVELOP APPROACHES TO COMBAT OBESITY

NIH to Develop Innovative Approaches to Combat Obesity in High Risk Groups

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a $37 million program to develop more effective interventions to reduce obesity in diverse populations at high risk of being overweight or obese, including Latino and African-American adults, African-American adolescents, low-income populations, pregnant women, and women in menopausal transition.

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NIH

Dec 15, 2009 10:00 AM - The interventions in development include new approaches to:
- promote awareness of specific eating behaviors
- decrease the desire for high-calorie foods
- reduce stress-related eating
- increase motivation to adhere to weight loss strategies
- engage an individual's social networks + communities to encourage physical activity
- improve sleep patterns
Brain scans also will be used to understand brain mechanisms in obesity that might guide the development of new interventions.

The program, Translating Basic Behavioral and Social Science Discoveries into Interventions to Reduce Obesity, will fund interdisciplinary teams of researchers at 7 research sites. Investigators will conduct experimental research, formative research to increase understanding of populations being studied, small studies known as proof of concept trials, and pilot and feasibility studies to identify promising new avenues for encouraging behaviors that prevent or treat obesity.