Staying Power: Developing Lifestyle Interventions that Last

The second Innovation Lab is a joint project of the University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. Its theme is Staying Power: Developing Lifestyle Interventions that Last. Ample research is aimed at achieving weight loss and a wide range of intervention types have significant short-term effectiveness, but few have long-term success. One can accept that this frustrating reality represents a struggle against human nature to return to ingrained patterns, or propose that we are simply not adequately focused on the next step, which is supporting change, preventing relapse and exploiting novel tools to do so.

A focus on sustaining the effects of obesity, fitness, and lifestyle interventions is an essential extension of the majority of studies that focus on 12- to 16-week interventions in narrow populations, with comparatively short follow-up. While longer, more naturalistic trials are being conducted, the need remains for research on retaining or enhancing the benefits of interventions over time and on supporting lifestyle choices of healthy adults.

This requires a next generation of research in promoting and sustaining healthy lifestyles. Completely new interventions, measurement approaches and collaborations across disciplines will be essential to promote breakthroughs.

Timeline

Feb. 9, 2018            Application submission deadline

Early March          Applicants selected and notified of outcome

April 23-27, 2018    Innovation Lab, Warrenton, VA

Airlie.

Airlie Northern Virginia Conference Center

Supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health

Research reported here was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UL1TR001412 to the University at Buffalo. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH