Active clinical trials for "Overweight"

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a new daily subcutaneous (SC) injectable formulation of setmelanotide (RM-493) in healthy participants with obesity on mean percent body weight loss and other weight loss parameters, as well as pharmacokinetic (PK) profile. The study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of setmelanotide administered once or twice daily. The study drug (setmelanotide and placebo) will be administered in a blinded fashion.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of brief cognitive behavioral treatment for child sleep (CBTcs) to improve sleep in an important high-risk population, overweight/obese (OV/OB) youth with behavioral sleep disorders. OV/OB youth with behavioral sleep disorders and their parent(s) will be randomly assigned to 8 sessions of either CBTcs or an Educational Control (EC). CBTcs will address behavioral sleep issues in children; EC will address sleep and dietary education and general coping strategies. Child sleep (total wake time, total sleep time, bed/wake times), height, weight, physical activity, dietary intake, quality of life (QOL), fatigue, and daytime sleepiness will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. It is hypothesized the children in the CBTcs will experience greater improvement in sleep than children in the EC.

Background: New weight-loss intervention programs are being studied to determine their effectiveness in helping overweight and obese individuals reach a healthy weight. However, these programs often have not been tested against each other, and researchers are interested in determining which interventions are most effective both immediately and over the long term in promoting and maintaining weight loss. Mindful Tai Chi is a combined form of the meditative martial art tai chi and the practice of mindfulness meditation. Tai chi and mindfulness meditation both have common philosophical underpinnings that address health promotion and well-being by applying the skill of non-judgmental awareness on a moment-to-moment daily basis. More research is needed on whether Mindful Tai Chi and mindfulness meditation can help improve various health factors in overweight and obese individuals. Objectives: - To compare the effects of Mindful Tai Chi, mindfulness meditation, walking, or a discussion group on the weight and well being of overweight and obese participants. Eligibility: - Healthy individuals at least 18 years of age who are either overweight or obese (body mass index between 25 and 40), have a sedentary lifestyle (have not engaged in more than 1 hour of aerobic exercise per week within the last month), and are willing to commit to a specific weight-loss intervention program. Design: This study involves four visits for collecting information and 12 weeks of research study activities. During the first visit, participants will hear information about the study and may ask any questions. They will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, and those eligible will be assigned to one of the four study groups: Mindful Tai Chi (MTC), Mindfulness Meditation (MM), Mall Walking (MW), or Weekly Discussion (WD) group. For the second visit, participants will give blood and urine samples, receive an abdominal ultrasound, ride a stationary bicycle for 5 minutes, and fill out health-related questionnaires. For 12 weeks, participants will be involved in the following activities depending on their group: MTC: Class for 2 hours per week, emphasizing the meditation aspects of tai chi. Each session will include at least 20 minutes of meditation. Participants will receive written instructions and an accompanying DVD in comparable formats specifying a minimum of 30 minutes of daily home assignment. In weeks 2 and 8, participants will have a workshop for mindfulness skill application in daily activity. MM: Class for 2 hours per week of mindfulness meditation. Participants will receive written instructions and an accompanying DVD in comparable formats specifying a minimum of 30 minutes of daily home assignment. In weeks 2 and 8, participants will have a workshop for mindfulness skill application in daily activity. MW: Participants will meet at a designated mall location once a week for 2-hour walk. WD: Participants will meet at the National Institutes of Health for weekly weight-loss discussion. For the third and fourth visits, participants will receive the same procedures as those used in the second visit. These visits will occur at the end of the 12-week activity period and at a 3-month follow up visit.

The purpose of the Deaf Weight Wise study is to test a 16 week, evidence-based, comprehensive program to change obesity-related health behaviors in Deaf people who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary language. Participants will be randomized to one of two study arms - immediate intervention or delayed intervention. In addition to the intervention activities, participants will also take part in five study visits over the course of two years. At these study visits, the investigators will administer several surveys as well as conduct biometric assessments. The investigators primary hypothesis is that the immediate intervention group will increase their levels of physical activity and reduce their caloric intake and body weight immediately following the intervention, compared to the delayed intervention group.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is one of the most common genetic causes of obesity. Obesity is a major source of morbidity and mortality in this population. It can lead to sleep apnea, cor pulmonale, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. PWS has distinct characteristics that set it apart from other forms of obesity including insatiable appetite and food-seeking behavior which can be disruptive to home and school activities, and can cause severe social and psychological turmoil within families. PWS is also associated with unique hormonal abnormalities, most notably hyperghrelinemia. Ghrelin is a gut hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates food intake during a fast. It is hypothesized that the extremely high ghrelin levels in patients with PWS may cause or contribute to their insatiable appetite. Exenatide, a medication used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults, appears to suppress ghrelin levels and cause weight loss. It was designed to mimic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and delays gastric emptying, among other effects. In the present study, the investigators will investigate the effects of a 6 month trial of exenatide in overweight adolescents with PWS. The investigators will quantify the changes in weight and body composition, as well as subjective measures of appetite, and concentrations of appetite-associated hormones. The investigators hypothesize that exenatide will improve weight, body composition, appetite, and plasma ghrelin levels during the treatment period.

Several studies have shown differences in health-related outcomes by dietary pattern. These patterns have included those participants following vegan (no meat, poultry, fish, dairy, or eggs), vegetarian (no meat, poultry, or fish), pesco- vegetarian (no meat or poultry), semi-vegetarian (red meat and poultry ≥ 1 time/month and < 1 time/week), or omnivorous diets. These studies have shown that of these dietary patterns, vegans have the lowest BMIs, lowest prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, and lowest amount of weight gain over 5 years. In addition, vegetarians have significantly better metabolic risk factors as compared to non-vegetarians. While these initial observational studies have shown benefits to consuming more plant-based diets, there have been no randomized trials examining the differences in health outcomes among these dietary patterns. To begin exploring this research area, the investigators will conduct a pilot study which will randomize participants to one of the 5 dietary approaches. Participants (n=75) in the NEW DIETs Study will be recruited to follow their randomly assigned diet for 8 weeks and attend weekly sessions to learn about nutrition and cooking.

Overweight and obesity play a role in both cancer incidence and survival rates. Many people have found attending weight loss support groups to be time-intensive. Past research has shown electronic media, particularly the Web, to be effective in producing weight loss. The Web, however, lacks portability, which prevents people from accessing the information when it is convenient for them. Providing weight loss information via podcasting (audio files that may be listened to on portable audio players) may allow people to receive weight loss tips anywhere. A previous research study showed that podcasts emphasizing healthy eating and exercise can help people lose weight. This study was short-term and did not include additional social support. The purpose of this research project is to assess the effectiveness of a weight loss intervention delivered through podcasts as compared to the same podcast with added mobile media such as self-monitoring software (such as a pedometer) and support delivered via a social networking site. For this research study, the investigators will conduct a 6-month study in 104 overweight adults to determine if a podcast plus mobile media support leads to greater weight loss than a podcast alone.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of dose and content of an enhanced weight maintenance treatment on children's ability to maintain weight loss following a standard weight loss treatment.

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of two different approaches (prescribed & self-directed) to the treatment of childhood obesity and their relative impact on child weight status, physical activity, and diet.

Abdominal obesity, which is affected by a lack of physical activity and excess weight, put people at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This study will compare the effects of two different dietary approaches to weight loss, each combined with exercise, for their effects on cardiovascular factors that are early predictors of future cardiovascular disease in overweight and obese people with excessive weight around their waist. The two diets are a low-carbohydrate versus a more traditional low-fat, low calorie diet.