Cooking and Nutrition Education for Obesity

(TKMT Trial)

Recruiting at 4 trial locations

Overseen By David M Eisenberg, MD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Must not be taking: Obesity, Diabetes medications

Disqualifiers: Type 1/2 diabetes, Severe obesity, others

Stay on Your Current Meds You can continue your current medications while participating

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 24

320 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This TK-MT is an interactive year-long program that teaches culinary skills, nutrition education, mindfulness, and stress reduction, promotes movement, and optimizes behavior change through health coaching strategies. The purpose of this study is to test whether a referral-based teaching kitchen intervention offered for 12 months in adjunct to primary care obesity management is feasible, acceptable, and effective on improving health behaviors and obesity prevention. Specifically, the primary goal of the study is to provide evidence of improved behavior change (ex: increases in cooking at home, fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, sleep, mindful activities), improved lab values (ex: fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), and resulting change in body weight and waist circumference measures. The hypothesis is that by participating in this novel TK-MT intervention - learning to cook healthy, delicious, inexpensive meals at home; understanding principles of good nutrition (based on the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate); incorporating exercise more effectively into daily living; reducing stress and increasing mindfulness and sleep; and, having access to principles of health coaching - in order to leverage personal motivations - can provide a platform to transform individuals and consequently their health, not only for the duration of this study (16 weeks intensive, 8 months boosters for a total of 12 months) but for their entire lives.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial requires that participants not be taking obesity or diabetes medications, except for metformin. If you are on other medications for these conditions, you would need to stop them to participate.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Curriculum for obesity?

Research shows that hands-on cooking and nutrition education can improve dietary habits and increase confidence in cooking, which are linked to better weight management. For example, a study found that culinary classes improved adherence to a healthy Mediterranean diet, which is associated with lower obesity rates. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is cooking and nutrition education generally safe for humans?

Cooking and nutrition education programs, like those described in the studies, are generally safe for humans. They focus on improving cooking skills and dietary habits, which are not associated with any known safety risks. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

How does the Cooking and Nutrition Education treatment for obesity differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on teaching practical cooking and nutrition skills through teaching kitchens, which are designed to improve healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes. Unlike traditional medical treatments, this approach emphasizes experiential learning and education to empower individuals to manage obesity through better dietary choices. ^{6 9 10 11 12}

Research Team

Kate Janisch, MPH, RDN

Principal Investigator

HSPH

Eligibility Criteria

Adults aged 25-70 with class I or II obesity (BMI 30-39.9) and certain metabolic abnormalities, who can commit to an 18-month study including weekly classes for the first four months followed by monthly sessions. Participants must have internet access, a device with a camera, and basic cooking appliances at home.

Inclusion Criteria

English literate

I am able to understand and agree to the study's procedures and risks.

I live on my own without needing help.

Exclusion Criteria

Diet / exercise contraindications to program participation

Psychiatric hospitalization in the past 12 months

Prisoners, pregnant women, and women planning to become pregnant over the next 18 months

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intensive Intervention

Participants gather in a 2-hour group setting once a week for 16 weeks to learn culinary skills, nutrition education, mindfulness, and stress reduction.

16 weeks

16 visits (in-person)

Booster Sessions

Participants attend a 2-hour group session once a month for 8 months to reinforce skills and behaviors learned during the intensive intervention.

8 months

8 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for long-term changes in health behaviors and outcomes 6 months after the final intervention class.

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Curriculum

Trial Overview The trial is testing a comprehensive program that includes culinary education, nutrition guidance, exercise promotion, stress reduction techniques, mindfulness training, and health coaching strategies to improve lifestyle habits related to obesity prevention over one year.

Participant Groups

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in the intervention group will gather together in a 2-hour group setting once a week for the first 16 week intensive, then change to a once a month 2-hour gathering for the remaining 8 months of boosters of the intervention. Follow-up will occur 6 months after the final intervention class to assess long-term changes. The total time span of the study will be 18 months.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group follows clinical care in the usual standard (i.e. continuing to receive usual care from one's primary care physician)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Lead Sponsor

Trials

283

Recruited

17,030,000+

Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Inc.

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

320+

University of California, Irvine

Collaborator

Trials

580

Recruited

4,943,000+

University of California, Los Angeles

Collaborator

Trials

1,594

Recruited

10,430,000+

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Collaborator

Trials

974

Recruited

361,000+

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Collaborator

Trials

548

Recruited

2,545,000+

The Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Inc.

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

320+

Findings from Research

A 6-week culinary course led by medical students significantly improved participants' adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with a notable increase in overall diet scores among 1381 participants.

Participants showed increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, while also developing a more positive attitude towards cooking, indicating that hands-on culinary education can effectively promote healthier eating habits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Multisite Medical Student-Led Community Culinary Medicine Classes Improve Patients' Diets: Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Fixed Effects Cohort Analysis of 1381 Subjects. Stauber, Z., Razavi, AC., Sarris, L., et al.[2022]

Culinary education interventions for children from low-income families are mostly school-based and focus on teaching children cooking skills, which can help improve nutrition and potentially reduce obesity rates.

Only a small number of studies (9 out of 370) met the criteria for inclusion, indicating a need for more comprehensive research and development in culinary education programs, particularly in involving parents and training program leaders.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Culinary Education Programs for Children in Low-Income Households: A Scoping Review. Li, PP., Mackey, G., Callender, C., et al.[2020]

TEACH Kitchen, a student-led initiative at the Medical College of Georgia, aims to improve nutrition education and healthy cooking skills among patients with chronic diseases, addressing a significant gap in healthcare.

The program has enrolled 14 patients and 6 children, focusing on modules related to obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, with the goal of measuring improvements in knowledge and clinical indicators like body mass index and blood pressure.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

TEACH Kitchen: A Chronological Review of Accomplishments. Chae, JH., Ansa, BE., Smith, SA.[2020]

The modified EFNEP curriculum, which included videos and interactive discussions, led to a significant decrease in BMI for the intervention group, highlighting its effectiveness in obesity prevention among participants.

Both the intervention and control groups showed improvements in dietary habits and psychosocial factors, but only the intervention group experienced a notable reduction in BMI, suggesting that the enhanced curriculum may be particularly beneficial for managing weight.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Creating healthful home food environments: results of a study with participants in the expanded food and nutrition education program. Cullen, KW., Lara Smalling, A., Thompson, D., et al.[2021]

References

1. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact Evaluation of an After-school Cooking Skills Program in a Disadvantaged Community: Back to Basics. [2015]

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

Multisite Medical Student-Led Community Culinary Medicine Classes Improve Patients' Diets: Machine Learning-Augmented Propensity Score-Adjusted Fixed Effects Cohort Analysis of 1381 Subjects. [2022]

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

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

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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

5. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Culinary Education Programs for Children in Low-Income Households: A Scoping Review. [2020]

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

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

7. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cook-EdTM: A Model for Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Cooking Programs to Improve Diet and Health. [2021]

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

Spice MyPlate: Nutrition Education Focusing Upon Spices and Herbs Improved Diet Quality and Attitudes Among Urban High School Students. [2022]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Characteristics of Current Teaching Kitchens: Findings from Recent Surveys of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative. [2023]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of a Teaching Kitchen Curriculum for Health Professional Trainees in Nutrition Knowledge, Confidence, and Skills to Advance Obesity Prevention and Management in Clinical Practice. [2023]

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

TEACH Kitchen: A Chronological Review of Accomplishments. [2020]

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

Creating healthful home food environments: results of a study with participants in the expanded food and nutrition education program. [2021]