Culinary medicine has emerged which provides the practical application of nutrition education through experiential learning. Studies have shown that patients with metabolic syndrome who underwent a series of classes that featured nutrition recommendations and cooking classes had weight loss, and improved cardiac health and blood sugar management. Given the increasing focus on providing remote experiences to minimize contact and risk of infection with Sars-COV2, this pilot study at Boston Medical Center (BMC) will integrate a physician consultation, interactive didactic presentations, nutritious cooking and mind- body exercises. Patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome can attend a virtual shared medical visit series co-taught by a registered dietician and chef and an endocrinologist and weight management specialist. Data will be collected in the form of surveys, phone interviews, chart review, and home monitoring to test both the feasibility of running such an intervention virtually and to explore whether attending this one month program with weekly remote classes/visits improves vitals including weight and blood blood pressure and other small habit changes in patients.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
a shared medical visit done by zoom in a group, 1.5 hours
A cooking class done by the teaching kitchen demonstrating cooking skills
Recruitment rates
Recruitment rates will be calculated by taking the number of participants enrolled over the number eligible to participate in the program
Time frame: 1 month
Retention of participants
Attendance at each of the sessions will be documented to assess retention of participants.
Time frame: 1 month
Facilitators for program participation
An investigator created questionnaire will be used to collect information about facilitators for program participation
Time frame: 1 month
Barriers to program participation
An investigator created questionnaire will be used to collect information about barriers to program participation
Time frame: 1 month
Change in knowledge of healthy foods
An investigator created questionnaire will be used to collect information about knowledge of healthy foods
Time frame: baseline, 1 month
Change in nutritional food intake behaviours
An investigator created questionnaire will be used to collect information about nutritional food intake behaviours
Time frame: baseline, 1 month
Change in blood pressure
Participants will check blood pressure at home with home blood pressure cuff and record the systolic and diastolic results on home diary
Time frame: baseline, 1 month
Change in fasting blood glucose level
Participants diagnosed with diabetes will use a home glucometer to measure fasting blood glucose levels
Time frame: baseline, 1 month
Change in body mass index [BMI]
Participants will weigh themselves at home and record their weight in a study diary. The BMI will be calculated using the formula BMI= kg/m2 where kg is a person's weight in kilograms and m2 is a person's height in meters squared.
Time frame: baseline, 1 month
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