Weight Loss Among Adults in Beijing, China

The rapid gains in China's economic development during the past two decades have been accompanied by similar gains in the population's waistline. Over 25% of Chinese adult females and more than a third of males are overweight or obese and rates are highest in urban areas such as Beijing. By 2015, overweight/obesity prevalence in China may reach 50% , thus imposing a heavy toll on chronic disease rates and health care costs. Despite these pressing public health challenges, very few obesity intervention studies have been conducted among Chinese adults.

Duke University and Peking University have partnered to implement an intervention to address these rapid changes in weight. 124 participants in Beijing will be randomly assigned to either: (1) usual care (UC), or; (2) a 6-month weight loss (WL) intervention condition. The primary outcome is weight change (kg) at 6 months post-baseline. Secondary outcomes include change in blood pressure, weight circumference, dietary intake, physical activity, and psychosocial mediators at 6 months post-baseline.

Participants randomized to the intervention arm will receive a series of components, delivered over 6 months: personalized behavior change goals to be self-monitored via text messaging, group "starter" counseling sessions, and personalized individual counseling. Each participant will also receive a pedometer to facilitate self-monitoring. These are evidence-based approaches, drawn from the investigators' collective research experience.