Environmental Intervention for Weight Gain Prevention

This study is a randomized trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component worksite intervention with strong environmental components to prevent weight gain. Six worksites will be randomized to either an intervention or a no-treatment control group. The intervention will be comprised of 1) changing the availability, portion sizes, and prices of foods and beverages sold to employees in their worksites in ways that encourage healthier food choices; 2) increasing the availability of physical activity opportunities at the worksite by implementing walking programs and increasing stairwell access and attractiveness; 3) placing scales in the work environment to encourage body weight monitoring and to enable workers to set goals for their weight; and 4) to provide educational materials to all employees to make them aware of the environmental intervention and of behavioral practices likely to be effective in preventing weight gain. The intervention will be implemented for a 2-year period in each intervention site. Effectiveness will be evaluated by assessing body weight, eating behavior and physical activity in a cohort of employees in both control and intervention sites at baseline and again 2 years later. Weight trends in these populations will also be compared to data from national and state-level annual surveys of weight in representative population samples. Data will be collected on the effects of specific intervention components via aggregate measures of food choice and physical activity.