About the program
PATH to Health is a free (no-fees to participate) program created by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was designed to help adults, ages 18-65, who are interested in losing weight build healthier eating and activity habits.
The 3-month program is delivered using a smartphone app, digital health tools, and text messages. You may also receive sessions with a counselor who specializes in weight management. 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 adults adopt healthy habits.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible if you:
Are currently age 18-65
Live in North Carolina
Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 27.5 and 45 (use calculator to the right)
Are interested in following a program to support you in building healthy eating and activity habits to help you manage your weight
Own an iPhone with data and text messaging plan
*Additional eligibility criteria apply.
What will I do in the program?
The PATH to Health study is testing a program that uses digital tools to help adults develop healthier diet and activity habits by making daily lifestyle changes in order to manage their weight. You will use an app to track your foods to help you make positive changes in your eating, and an activity tracker to help increase your physical activity. We will also ask you to track your weight using a smart scale provided by the study.
All participants will also receive a weight loss program through the study smartphone app, which will include weekly lessons, resources, feedback on progress, tools to help them keep track of their diet and physical activity, and text messages to encourage healthy habits.
What makes the program different for each participant is that a) each participant will be randomly to different amounts of nutrition counseling, and b) some participants may receive new components of the program after 4 weeks. In total, participants will receive 0, 1, 2, 4, or 5 counseling sessions with a weight management professional over the course of the study. All counseling sessions will be video calls and will last approximately 30 minutes each.
All participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires and other remote measurements, such as weighing on their scale, at the start of the study, after 1 week, after 4 weeks, and after 3 months.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
Weight loss programs that recommend diet and physical activity changes have been shown to be effective for weight loss and improvements in health, such as a reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes. 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. Once you start the study, you will be paid to complete some study questionnaires and assessments. You will receive the following: $10 after 1 week, $10 at 4 weeks, and $25 at 3 months. Participants who complete the study will also be able to keep their Fitbit activity tracker and smart scale (a $120 combined value).
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 PATH to Health study, please contact us at (919) 442-8141 or email pathtohealthstudy@unc.edu.
This study has been approved by the UNC Institutional Review Board (Study #23-0396).