University Of Pennsylvania Weight Loss Study
Weight LossThis is a 4-arm, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives to motivate and sustain long-term weight loss. The study will recruit eligible employees at a large health management company to participate in a 6-month weight loss program and have weight measurements for an additional 3-month follow-up period. The primary outcome measure in this randomized controlled trial will be pounds of weight lost. The experimental groups will include variations of deposit contracts (participants put their own money at risk, and lose that money if they fail to achieve their weight loss goal) and fixed payments. The use of deposit contracts is a powerful mechanism for inducing behavior change that is based on loss aversion, a psychological concept first described by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979. A deposit contract takes advantage of the fact that people typically feel the pain of a loss more than the pleasure of a gain, increasing ones motivation to reach a goal. The study hypotheses are 1) mean weight loss will be greater in all intervention groups compared to the control group by the end of 24 weeks; and 2) individuals in the intervention groups will have a lower mean weight at the end of the 3-month follow-up period than individuals in the control group.
Nasal Noninvasive NAVA in the Very Low Birth Weight Infant
Inadequate; Pulmonary VentilationNewborn2 moreThe purpose of this study is to determine if a new type of mechanical ventilation, or breathing machine (called neurally adjusted ventilatory assist or NAVA), will provide additional support to infants who were born prematurely. Investigators are looking to determine if in two hours infants who weighed less than 1500 grams or 3 pounds 5 ounces, will demonstrate a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide (the gas that humans exhale) dissolved in their blood as compared to prior to starting the study. This will be accomplished by enrolling infants who are stable on their current type of mechanical breathing that provides a constant air flow into the infant. This type of mechanical support helps keep the lungs inflated but does not help remove carbon dioxide. This study will change the type of mechanical support to a type of support called neurally adjusted ventilatory assist or NAVA. This type of mechanical support detects when the infant is breathing in by having electrical sensors on a feeding tube that is placed into the stomach through the nose or mouth. These electrical sensors detect when the diaphragm or the muscle that helps humans breath is trying to take a breath in. When the NAVA ventilator senses the attempt to breath, it provides additional air flow to make the effort of breathing easier. The ventilator will be attached to a tube or cannula that is placed into the infant's nose. After two hours of being on the NAVA ventilator a repeat measure of carbon dioxide in the blood will be performed by taking a small amount of blood from the infant's heel.
A High Protein Weight Loss Intervention for Sarcopenic Obesity in Women
Weight LossObesityThe purpose of the trial is to assess the effects of combining regular, generous intakes of high quality protein (primarily from lean pork and other animal source proteins) with calorie restriction on functional status and lean muscle mass in frail, obese, women who participate in a 6 month intervention and 9 month intervention.
Influence of Carboxypeptidase D (CPD) Gene on Body Weight and Fat Mass Reduction by Perindopril...
ObesityThe primary objective of this study is to evaluate the Carboxipeptidase D (CPD) genotyping as a predictive biomarker of body weight and/or fat mass reduction in obese patients treated with perindopril. There is nonclinical and clinical evidence that a subgroup of human subjects may present a decrease in body weight and/or fat mass following treatment with perindopril. Although the individual characteristics that determine such effect are still unknown, Gene PreDiT SA (Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal) discovered that certain genetic characteristics (e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CPD gene) may play a role and potentially could serve as a potential predictive biomarker of response to perindopril. These promising results, along with the fact that perindopril is a medicine already in use in clinical practice, led Gene PreDiT SA to decide to proceed with the development of a theranostic approach for the treatment of obesity. Such theranostic approach consists on the use of CPD genotyping to identify obese subjects that could present improved body weight and fat mass reduction following treatment with perindopril. The current clinical trial aims to prove the concept and provide data to design further confirmatory studies. Additionally this study will evaluate the association between CPD SNPs genotypes and response to perindopril; the effect of perindopril in waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, and BMI and the tolerability and safety of perindopril in the study population.
Utilizing Protein During Weight Loss to Impact Physical Function
ObesityWeight Loss5 moreThis study will evaluate the effects of diet composition (i.e., amount of protein and carbohydrate) during a 6-month weight loss intervention and 12-months of follow-up on physical function, muscle mass, and weight loss maintenance in obese older adults. Participants will receive either a protein or carbohydrate supplement along with a behavioral weight loss intervention.
Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Weight Loss in Active Duty Women (Moms Fit 2 Fight)
Weight GainWeight LossThe purpose of this study is to enroll approximately 450 subjects to see if a behavioral weight management program is successful in helping TRICARE beneficiaries who are pregnant or post-partum to manage their weight during and after their pregnancy.
LLLT for Reducing Waste Circumference and Weight
Weight LossThe purpose of this research is to gather preliminary information on the effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in helping people reduce their weight gain in the central body region.
Promotora-Led Intervention for Metabolic and Mental Health
PreDiabetesObesity3 moreEvidence-based programs to prevent diabetes among high-risk individuals are less effective among those who also have mental health needs. This study involves developing and pilot testing the first adaptation of the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention to simultaneously treat prediabetes and elevated mental health symptoms. This project has large potential to impact public health, given that more than half of the U.S. adult population has either of these conditions, and is at risk for developing comorbid diabetes and mental illness.
Testing the Efficacy of a Spousal Support Enhanced Weight Loss Program on Weight Loss Among African...
OverweightWeight Loss1 moreThe purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a spousal support enhanced weight loss program on weight loss among African American men.
Effects of Weight Loss on Nutritional Mediated Hormone Secretion
Weight LossHormone Disturbance1 moreInvestigative trial with aim of the description of the hormonal and metabolic response to meals containing different compositions of macronutrients the metabolic response to these test meals in dependance of the hepatic and muscular insulin sensitivity and abdominal adipose tissue and effects of a weight loss on the hormonal response to these test meals containing different compositions of macronutrients Primary endpoint: Glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1), Glucose dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and Ghrelin response to a nutritive stimulation characterized by different nutritional composition Secondary endpoints: differences of substrate utilization depending on the nutritive composition effects of different hepatic and muscular insulin sensitivity as well as impact of visceral fat mass on the hormonal and metabolic response effect of weight loss on the hormonal and metabolic response to different test meals Study procedure: After primary characterization 50 probands (male and female) will receive 3 different test meals within a randomised (meal order) controlled trial. The three different test meals differ in nutritional composition. During consumption of the test meal a characterization of the endogenous hormonal response and appetite behaviour is performed. A nutritional counselling is performed according to the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) to ensure a stable nutritive behaviour in the three days before the test meal administration. After analysis of the hormonal response to these 3 different testmeals follows a weight reduction period over 3 months. Afterwards reevaluation of the probands (again administration of 3 different test meals over a period of 3 weeks) will be performed. Principal aim of the study: Gain of information leading to the understanding of the hormonal regulation of food intake. The individual variability shall be determined with the aim of an identification of patient groups which show various intensities of the responses to different macronutrients.