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The battle against the bulges will continue at URI for two more years as researchers in the CELS Department for Nutrition & Food Sciences (NSF) have landed another CELS Cares grant to continue a study designed to help young people avoid excessive weight gain.
Dr. Geoffrey Greene (NSF) says the $40,000 grant will enable a continuance of a program started four years ago to guide young people toward physical exercise and healthful eating habits to combat unhealthy weight gain.
The grant will enable URI to do its part in a twelve-state research project, funding through the National Research Institute and led by Dr. Kendra Kettlemann of South Dakota State University.
Greene says he has worked with Kettlemann before.
"We are sub-contractors on the grant" says Greene explaining the use of the CELS Cares grant which will enable NSF to employ a research associate to help run the program through 2011. A planning committee composed of faculty, staff and students will map out the procedures this fall. Linda Sebelia,
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a NSF research associate, will head up the URI study with Greene.
Some of the new ideas being considered include the production of a video, the combining of two exercise lessons and the addition of a stress management lesson. Previous projects at URI have resulted in the creation of 10-web-based lessons that can be used, notes Greene.
Among the innovations that may be tried to help motivate participants is access to the new materials using messaging via Twitter or Facebook.
The on-going study is important because of the concern over obesity in America. Rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes are rising in this country and excessive weight is one of the factors.
After the planning committee determines the details of the program’s extension, a pilot program with about 20 students will be launched next spring. The full-fledged study (fall, 2010) will involve 186 URI non-NSF students (freshmen, sophomores and juniors—no seniors because the study requires participants to be available on campus for a post-program
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assessment a year later).
Greene notes his department has had very good success in attracting students to take part in past studies and he anticipates no problem in that respect for the next one. People are motivated when it comes to finding out more about themselves.
The goal of the whole multi-state college-based project is to work out procedures and gain experience so that this program can involve hard-to-reach populations of young adults.
According to the project overview, "the collective power of the multiple states collaborating throughout the entire participatory process will significantly contribute to the understanding of how to best meet young adults’ needs as they strive to prevent weight gain and adopt healthful habits."
The outcomes from the project, say the researchers, should address some of the health priorities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and d the National Institute for Health.
Published: July 23, 2009
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