Research Center: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Location: This study will be conducted virtually and is open to the Continental United States
Lead Researcher: Angela Pfammatter MS, Ph.D. ([email protected])
IRB: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Northwestern Institutional Review Board IRB number STU00212742

Are you ready to start living a healthier lifestyle? You are not alone. Researchers at Northwestern University, in partnership with the University of Tennessee, are exploring EVO – and you could be a part of it!

EVO is a 12-month research study that seeks to understand the effectiveness of different lifestyle programs. By gaining a better understanding of each intervention’s impact, researchers will have a better idea of which approach could potentially help those wanting to improve health in the future. If you are wanting to start a healthy journey and are motivated to lose weight, you may be eligible to participate! Your journey to wellness starts here. Sign up and join EVO today!

• Participants will receive a behavioral weight loss intervention at no cost.
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit those trying to lose weight in the future.
• Participants will be helping to advance medical research.

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study

• Men and women aged 18 to 70 with a BMI of 30-45kg/m²
• Must not have lost or gained 25 lbs or more in the past 6 months
• Must not be taking anti-obesity medications
• Must own a smartphone and be willing to install the study app
• Must be willing to conduct Zoom conference calls with the study staff
• Must not use an assistive device for mobility
• Must not have substance dependence besides nicotine
• Must not be pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or lactating
• Must be able to attend virtual study visits over approximately 12 months

• Participants will be compensated.
• Participants will receive Amazon Gift Cards for the amount of time spent in this research study (3 months, 6 months, and 12 months) + questionnaire.
• Participants can earn up to 175 USD

The study team will explain the research in its entirety but some details are:

• Participants will be required to watch an online orientation video, fill out an online eligibility screener, and have a brief phone call with study staff. 
• Participants will then be asked to complete online questionnaires and track food intake for a 7-day period. Once provided with consent to participate, participants will be scheduled for a video call where further details about the study process and reasons for joining the study will be discussed. During the baseline session, researchers will also measure your weight and blood pressure, and participants will be asked to complete a game-like computer task that will measure how quickly a task is completed. The baseline assessments will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. 
• Randomization & Program Start-Up Session: In this session, participants will learn which group they have been randomly assigned to. Study staff will help initialize and train on the smartphone app if necessary, provide any needed study materials, and schedule sessions. This will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest chartered university in Illinois. The university has its main campus along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area.

University of Tennessee Knoxville
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, with ten undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges.