About the program
AGILE is a free (no fees to participate) weight loss program brought to you by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that is designed to help young adults ages 18-35 adopt healthier eating and activity habits and learn effective ways to manage their weight. The 6-month program is delivered using a study smartphone app and digital health tools. If you are eligible, you have the opportunity to participate in important research to help us understand more about how we can use mobile technologies to help young adults lose weight.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible if you:
Are currently age 18-35
Have a body mass index between 25 and 40 (use calculator to the right)
Are not exceeding physical activity guidelines
Own a smartphone with data and text messaging plan
*Additional eligibility criteria apply.
What will I do in the program?
The AGILE program is testing components of a digital weight loss intervention to help young adults ages 18 to 35 years of age to lose weight using a lifestyle approach. You will use a digital scale to track your weight and use an app to track your foods to help you make positive changes in your eating. You’ll use an activity tracker to help increase your physical activity and will receive daily personalized messages from the study smartphone app that will help you stay on track with your weight goals.
Everyone in the study will receive a behavioral weight loss program based on research that has been adapted for young adults. This program will include weekly lessons and feedback on the study app based on your progress. This is the standard program that all participants will receive.
In addition to the standard program described above, you will also receive a unique combination of program components that we are testing. These include ways to keep track of your diet and physical activity changes, and daily support from the program to help you stay on track with your diet and activity changes.
All participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires and other remote measurements, such as weighing on the provided scale, at the start of the study, after 3 months, and after 6 months.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
Research shows that young adulthood is a common time for weight gain, and that the weight gained puts you at higher risk for health problems later in life. You may benefit from the program by losing some weight now and learning effective ways to manage your weight so that you can achieve and maintain a healthy weight for years to come.
Throughout the program you may also benefit by receiving:
Professional expertise and information to help you adopt strategies for making changes in your eating and physical activity
Personalized feedback on your progress
This information is provided to you free of charge as a study participant. After completing all the study questionnaires and measurements at each time point, you will receive the following: $50 at the beginning, $25 at 3 months, and $75 at 6 months.
If you are interested in signing up, please go to our online screener to see if you are eligible to participate.
CONTACT US
If you would like to learn more about the AGILE study, please contact us at (919) 962-8925 or email uncweightresearch@unc.edu.
This study has been reviewed by the IRB (Study #20-0765). If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research subject, or if you would like to obtain information or offer input, you may contact the Institutional Review Board at 919-966-3113 or by email to IRB_subjects@unc.edu.