Cooking Skills for Obesity

(CHEF-ID Trial)

Overseen By Jessica Danon

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Insulin dependent diabetes, Prader-Willi, cancer, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 24

114 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have insulin-dependent diabetes or are on a weight management program involving medication, you may not be eligible to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Cooking Skills Training for obesity?

Research shows that cooking skills training can help with weight loss and improve diet quality. A study found that people who actively participated in cooking classes lost more weight than those who only watched cooking demonstrations. Additionally, better cooking skills are linked to healthier eating habits and lower chances of being overweight. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is cooking skills training safe for humans?

Cooking skills training has been well accepted and attended by participants in various studies, with no reported safety concerns. It is generally considered safe and can improve food management skills and self-confidence. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

How does Cooking Skills Training differ from other treatments for obesity?

Cooking Skills Training is unique because it focuses on teaching practical cooking skills to help manage obesity, unlike other treatments that may focus on diet plans or exercise alone. This approach emphasizes skill acquisition to promote healthier eating habits, which can lead to sustainable weight loss. ^{10 11 12 13 14}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to see if adding hands-on cooking classes to a weight management program (called Chef-ID) helps young adults with intellectual disabilities lose more weight and keep it off compared to a standard weight loss program. The study will last 24 months and include three phases: 6 months of active support, 12 months of maintenance, and 6 months with no contact. The investigators will look at how much weight participants lose over the first 18 months. Changes in cooking skills, body fat, health markers (like blood pressure and cholesterol), daily living skills, and caregiver stress will be tracked. Finally, factors that might help or prevent weight loss, and how changes in weight and body fat are linked to overall health will be explored. This research will help inform on how to better support healthy lifestyles for people with intellectual disabilities.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for young adults with intellectual disabilities who are also dealing with obesity. They should be interested in learning cooking skills to help manage their weight. Participants must commit to a 24-month program, including phases of active support and maintenance.

Inclusion Criteria

Plan to attend all study required visits over the next 24 months

Diagnosis of mild-to-moderate intellectual disability (ID)

BMI >24.9 and Body weight <350lbs

Exclusion Criteria

Diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome

I primarily use a wheelchair or power chair to get around.

I cannot join in-person group activities.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Active Support

Participants receive active support including cooking classes for the eSLD+Chef-ID group and motivational videos for the eSLD group

6 months

Monthly Zoom check-ins, bi-monthly cooking classes for eSLD+Chef-ID group

Maintenance

Participants continue with maintenance phase with reduced frequency of cooking classes and ongoing support

12 months

Monthly Zoom check-ins, monthly cooking classes for eSLD+Chef-ID group

No Contact

Participants have no contact with the study team to assess long-term weight maintenance

6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the main phases

6 months

Final assessment at 24 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Cooking Skills Training

Trial Overview The study tests if adding cooking classes (Chef-ID) to traditional weight loss programs helps participants lose more weight and maintain it over time. It's divided into three phases: initial active support, ongoing maintenance, and a final no-contact period.

Participant Groups

Group I: Weight Loss Plus Cooking Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Traditional Weight Loss Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Kansas Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

527

Recruited

181,000+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

Findings from Research

The vegetable-focused cooking skills and nutrition program significantly improved parental cooking confidence and healthy food preparation skills, with scores increasing from 4.0 to 4.4 and 3.6 to 3.9 out of 5, respectively.

Participants also reported increased vegetable variety and home availability, with parents' vegetable variety scores rising from 30 to 32 and home vegetable availability from 16 to 18 out of 35, indicating a positive impact on dietary habits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impacts of a Vegetable Cooking Skills Program Among Low-Income Parents and Children. Overcash, F., Ritter, A., Mann, T., et al.[2019]

A randomized controlled trial involving 80 overweight/obese women showed that both a skill-based intervention (SBI) and counseling-based intervention (CBI) led to significant weight loss at 6 months, with participants maintaining some weight loss at 24 months.

The SBI group demonstrated a significant reduction in dietary fat intake, suggesting that this intervention may positively influence eating habits, although the long-term weight loss differences between SBI and CBI were not statistically significant.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technical skills for weight loss: 2-y follow-up results of a randomized trial. Yeh, MC., Rodriguez, E., Nawaz, H., et al.[2016]

References

1. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cooking as a Health Behavior: Examining the Role of Cooking Classes in a Weight Loss Intervention. [2021]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The relationship between food and cooking skills, and eating behaviors in people with overweight or obesity. [2023]

3. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Low Cooking Skills Are Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Undergraduates. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Building Flavor and Confidence in the Kitchen: A Pilot Virtual Cooking Class on Healthy Snacking. [2023]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impacts of a Vegetable Cooking Skills Program Among Low-Income Parents and Children. [2019]

6. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Design Guidelines for a Technology-Enabled Nutrition Education Program to Support Overweight and Obese Adolescents: Qualitative User-Centered Design Study. [2020]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A brief cookery skills intervention is no more effective than written information alone in reducing body mass index in overweight cardiac rehabilitation patients [corrected]. [2015]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cooking Matters for Adults Improves Food Resource Management Skills and Self-confidence Among Low-Income Participants. [2019]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impacts of A Taste of African Heritage: A Culinary Heritage Cooking Course. [2022]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a personalized system of skill acquisition and an educational program in the treatment of obesity. [2019]

11. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technical skills for weight loss: 2-y follow-up results of a randomized trial. [2016]

12. Turkey pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Relationship of initial self-regulatory ability with changes in self-regulation and associated fruit and vegetable consumption in severely obese women initiating an exercise and nutrition treatment: moderation of mood and self-efficacy. [2021]

13. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Solution Method: 2-year trends in weight, blood pressure, exercise, depression, and functioning of adults trained in development skills. [2004]

14. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Short- and long-term eating habit modification predicts weight change in overweight, postmenopausal women: results from the WOMAN study. [2022]