Predicting Adherence to a Heart-Healthy Diet in Lean and Obese Individuals

Adherence, or "sticking to your diet" is important for successful initial weight loss and keeping off the weight over the long term (1). While early behavioral and dietary adherence have been associated with greater weight loss, sticking to a diet plan is difficult. It is not clear if adherence to any diet plan (even one which does not produce weight loss) is hard or whether people who are overweight have more difficulty with adhering to diet plans compared to people who are relatively lean. The main aim of this study is to evaluate dietary adherence in 3 groups of individuals participating in a 6-week heart-healthy dietary intervention program. Two groups \[1 (BMI \< 25 kg/m(2)) and 2. Obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m(2))\] will receive a heart-healthy diet designed to maintain their weight, and the third group \[3. Obese\] will be given a heart-healthy diet that is 35% less than their daily calorie needs to lose weight. Participants will attend one counseling session per week and will be contacted randomly 1x/week by study staff for completion of a 24-hour dietary recall. They will complete daily food diaries and daily records using smart-phones. Prior to starting the assigned heart-healthy dietary intervention, participants will complete questionnaires that include questions about how motivated they are to follow a diet, lose weight, and change eating patterns. These findings may help us understand what factors affect adherence, and help us design weight loss studies that improve people's ability to stick to diet interventions.