The Effects of Exercise on Appetite Regulation in Overweight/Obese Individuals

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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In this study the Investigators are examining the effects of a 12-week exercise program (intervention) on measures of appetite and food intake regulation in overweight to mildly obese healthy adults. The Investigators hypothesize that individuals who lose a significant amount of weight in response to the intervention will show a reduction in the brain response to food cues as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when compared to those who do not lose weight. These changes in neuronal activity will be associated to physiologic and behavioral measures.

Official Title
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The Effects of Exercise on Appetite Regulation in Overweight/Obese Individuals

Conditions
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Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Exercise
* Behavioral: Diet


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: all ethnic groups and both genders; age: 21-45 yrs; BMI: 27-35; weight stable within +/- 5 percent in the last 6 months; sedentary (less than 1 hour of planned physical activity by self-report). Exclusion Criteria: history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled hypertension, untreated thyroid disease, renal disease, hepatic disease, or any other medical condition affecting weight or energy metabolism; unable to effectively exercise due to cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic or orthopedic reasons; unable to pass screening graded exercise treadmill test; currently smoking; medications affecting weight, Energy Intake (EI) or Energy Expenditure (EE) in the last 6 months; weight loss or weight gain of >5 percent in past 6 months; currently pregnant, lactating or less than 6 months post-partum; bariatric surgery; major psychiatric disorder, presence of alcohol or substance abuse, current depression by history and/or a score >21 on the he Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), history of eating disorders and/or a score of >20 on the EATS-26; contraindication to MRI

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Physical Intervention<br>A supervised exercise program | Behavioral: Exercise<br>* The intervention gradually increases EE from 150-200 kcal/day 5 days per week to a target of 400 kcal/d 5 days per week and will last a total of 12 weeks.<br>|
| Experimental: Nutritional Intervention<br>A supervised diet program | Behavioral: Diet<br>* A supervised diet program which has been successfully implemented by our group with a goal being to reduce energy intake by  2000 kcal/week.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fMRI Response to Visual Food Cues | The neuronal response will be assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in response to visual food cues Blood oxygen dependent signal (BOLD) response in exposure to visual food cues will be measured during a fMRI scan and the difference between responses in those who lose weight vs. those who do not lose weight will be compared. | 12 weeks |