American Cancer Society Research Study and Programs for Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

Employers have an opportunity to impact the health and productivity of their workforce. Supporting a culture of good nutrition, physical activity and weight management is a smart investment for the company and their community. The American Cancer Society's Employer Initiative designed the Nutrition and Physical Activity (NuPA) Study to test effectiveness of a telephone-based, cognitive-behavioral intervention compared to self-help materials for the purpose of establishing a healthy lifestyle. The NuPA study randomized over 2500 participants nationwide. The primary outcome was weight loss with secondary outcomes including increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity and improving self-efficacy.

Analysis of 6 and 12 month follow-up data revealed significant weight loss and significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. Among participants who were overweight/obese at baseline, 31% lost ≥ 5% of their body weight after 12 months.

The NuPA study proved to be an effective program for reducing and preventing weight gain long-term and was easily incorporated into worksite wellness programs. The program is now a permanent offering to employers. In addition to the weight management program, we support employers engaging in various efforts aimed to support healthy behaviors. Some of these offerings include a team-based physical activity program, health benefits and workplace policy tools as well as communication/marketing strategies and program utilization and evaluation reports. The Society programs offer a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing obesity at the individual, environment and policy levels within a worksite.