Research

• Rachel Adamkowski
• Emma Dear
• Kathleen Hill
• Claudia Sentman

A NEW Look at Plant-Based: A supplementary CookBook to the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW) Soul Study

The mLIFE study aims to help people lose weight while using different digital technologies for self-monitoring diet, physical activity and body weight. This 12-month study is recruiting adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who have overweight or obesity. Participants will be asked to track all their meals via the mLIFE app, use a FitBit to track their physical activity, and use a FitBit scale to track their weight. Participants will get information on how to eat healthy and excise more via 2 weekly podcasts. The mLIFE app will also facilitate social support among fellow participants. 

Visit www.mLIFEstudy.org for more information.

This study is a 9-month intervention from the University of South Carolina in partnership with Rare Variety Café, located in downtown Columbia, SC. This study will introduce you to a plant-based diet and help us learn more about delivering the NEW Soul program in the community. The study includes 12 weekly online (Zoom) classes, recipes and educational materials, meal vouchers to sample delicious plant-based foods from Rare Variety Café, and up to $50 in financial compensation.

This project is examining the effect of adopting two different dietary patterns (vegan and omnivorous), which focus on southern cuisine, on both cardiovascular disease risk factors and weight loss among African American adults with overweight or obesity.

The project partners with local community restaurants to help inform intervention and recipe development. Learn more about the NEW Soul study at www.NEWSoul.org.

The FAST Study examined the impact of various fasting and meal-timing conditions on body weight and one’s satisfaction with their diet among overweight adults. More specifically, this study was a randomized crossover study comparing the impact of the following three conditions: time-restricted feeding, intermittent fasting, and alternate day fasting.

The Healthy Motivations for Moms-to-be study specifically focuses on moms-to-be working towards healthy lifestyle goals like stress reduction, healthy eating, and exercise during pregnancy.  

The University of South Carolina is looking for adults to participate in a six-week weight loss study using innovative technology to track food intake. Participants must be overweight or obese, between the ages of 18 and 65, own an Android of iPhone smartphone, and able to attend two in-person visits on USC campus. 

Join this innovative six-month weight loss study! If you have a smartphone and can come to four in-person sessions at the University of South Carolina over the next 6 months.

We are exploring eating frequency differences between vegans and omnivores using the Bite Counter, an innovative wearable wrist device. To enroll in this research study, you must be between the ages 18-65, and currently be following a vegan or omnivore diet. An omnivore diet includes all food types, such as meat, fish, dairy products, and vegetables. A vegan diet excludes all animal by products, such as meat, fish, and dairy products. You must be able to come to the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health in Columbia, SC at least three times during the two-weeks of participation in the research study (baseline, end of week 1, and end of week 2).Participants will receive $30 for completing the study and a free nutrient analysis.

This is a 1-month study that will examine the use of podcasting and a wearable wrist-worn device to track calorie intake and promote weight loss. A podcast is a digital audio file that can be listened to on portable media players, like iPods, and personal computers. This study ran from July 14, 2015 to August 11, 2015. In this study, you will receive weight loss information delivered via twice weekly podcasts. You will also track each meal you eat by wearing a provided watch-like device. 

If you are interested in losing weight and have an Android phone or tablet, please contact us for more information.

Eight-week pilot study comparing adoption of five different dietary approaches: vegan, vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, or omnivorous, on weight loss in 63 adults affected by obesity or overweight. All dietary patterns emphasized eating low-fat and low-glycemic index foods.

This study was a cross-sectional survey of 422 participants who had completed a half-, full-, or ultramarathon in the past 12 months. The objective of the study was to examine differences in diet, particularly vegetarian diets, among distance runners.

Six-month intervention examining how different dietary approaches may be useful for women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) who are attempting pregnancy, particularly by measuring changes in weight.

The Mobile Pounds Off Digitally Study examined the additional benefit of mobile prompting (2/day) and communication via the social networking site Twitter and mobile diet and physical activity monitoring via  phone application (Mobile group) over podcasts alone (Podcast group).