New DIETs: New Dietary Interventions Enhancing the Treatment for Weight Loss (New DIETs)
Overweight, Obesity
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Overweight focused on measuring weight loss, obesity, overweight, diet
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- be between the ages of 18-65
- have access to a computer with Internet capabilities
- be overweight (Body Mass Index of 25-49.9)
- be able to attend weekly evening meetings at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC (up to 8 total) starting late January 2013.
Exclusion Criteria: Participants will be ineligible to participate if they:
- have a Body Mass Index less than 25 or greater than 49.9 kg/m2
- are currently pregnant
- are younger than 18 or older than 65 years of age
- are unable to attend weekly meetings for 8 weeks
- don't have access to the Internet and a computer
- don't have access to a scale for self-monitoring weight
- aren't willing to be randomized to one of five dietary groups
- have a psychiatric disease, drug or alcohol dependency, or uncontrolled thyroid condition
- have a major health condition, such as heart conditions, diabetes, and past incidence of stroke
- have an eating disorder (participants will be screened using the Eating Attitudes Test screener-participants who do not pass this screener will be asked to contact their physician)
- currently participating in a weight loss program or taking weight loss medications
- currently following a vegan, vegetarian, or pesco-vegetarian diet
Sites / Locations
- University of South Carolina
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Arm 4
Arm 5
Experimental
Experimental
Experimental
Experimental
Active Comparator
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pesco-Vegetarian
Semi-Vegetarian
Omnivorous
A vegan diet is one that does not contain any animal products (no meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy) but emphasizes plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans. We will also ask you to keep foods low in fat and low in glycemic index.
A vegetarian diet is one that does not contain meat, fish, or poultry but does contain eggs and dairy, in addition to plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans. We will also ask you to keep foods low in fat and low in glycemic index.
A pesco-vegetarian diet is one that does not contain meat or poultry but does contain fish and shellfish, eggs, and dairy, in addition to plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans. We will also ask you to keep foods low in fat and low in glycemic index.
A semi-vegetarian diet is one that contains all foods, including meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, eggs, and dairy, in addition to plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans. However, red meat is limited to one time per week and poultry is limited to 5 times per week or less. We will also ask you to keep foods low in fat and low in glycemic index.
An omnivorous diet contains all food groups. However, as part of this study, we will ask participants in this group to keep foods low in fat and low in glycemic index. Participants in this group will not need to attend weekly meetings but will receive information via e-mail each week.