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Feasibility & Implementation of a Plant-Based Weight-Loss Program in an Office-Based Setting

Not Applicable
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Weight Loss
Lipid Disorder
PreDiabetes
Blood Pressure
Diabete Mellitus
Interventions
Behavioral: Low-fat plant-based diet
Registration Number
NCT04091516
Lead Sponsor
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Brief Summary

This prospective study aims to assess the feasibility and implementation of a plant-based, weight-loss program in an office setting. The study will also assess changes in body weight, blood pressure, plasma lipids, glycated hemoglobin, and body composition with a 12-week, plant-based, weight-loss program. These health benefits may illustrate feasibility to physicians and healthcare professionals elsewhere.

Detailed Description

This will be a prospective interventional study to evaluate the feasibility, implementation and efficacy of 12-week plant-based, weight-loss program that is carried out in an office setting and is open to participation to the general public via local print and online advertising or whichever methods apply. The program will include weekly education and support, and assessment of blood pressure, lipids, hemoglobin A1c, and body composition before and after starting the program. The price of the program, $645, will cover the costs of weekly education, blood pressure check, laboratory testing and body composition analysis.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
75
Inclusion Criteria
  • Men and women age ≥18 years of age
Exclusion Criteria
  • Use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months
  • Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant during the study period, as verified by self-report
  • Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
  • Lack of English fluency
  • Inability to maintain current medication regimen
  • Inability or unwillingness to participate in all components of the study

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Low-fat plant-based dietLow-fat plant-based dietFor 12 weeks, participants will follow a diet comprised of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits, with no restriction on energy intake. Animal products and added oils will be excluded. Except for light refreshments and tastings at the group sessions, no meals will be provided. Participants will handle their own food preparation and purchases, with guidance from the education team, with no restriction on energy intake.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Weight lossChange from baseline to 12 weeks

With participants wearing light, indoor clothing but without shoes, body weight will be measured to the nearest 0.1 kg, using a digital scale. Body weight will also be assessed at each weekly session, but only data from the week 1 (pre-program) and week 12 (post-program) will be included in the analysis.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
hemoglobin A1cChange from baseline to 12 weeks

will be measured using standard methods.

Plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrationsChange from baseline to 12 weeks

Will be measured using standard methods.

Blood pressureChange from baseline to 12 weeks

Blood pressure will be measured using an automated oscillometric device.

Body CompositionChange from baseline to 12 weeks

Body composition will be measured by dual energy x-ray absorptometry (Lunar iDXA, GE Healthcare; Madison, WI) with Encore® 2005 v.9.15.010 software. The iDXA can measure body composition with low x-ray exposure and short scanning time. The iDXA unit will be calibrated daily using the GE Lunar calibration phantom, and a trained operator will perform all scans following standard protocol for participant positioning. The iDXA is equipped with the CoreScan module (GE Healthcare, Madison, WI), which can also provide an estimate of visceral adipose tissue volume and mass.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Barnard Medical Center

🇺🇸

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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