Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study

Overview

The Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study is an observational research study of participants living with overweight and obesity. The principal objectives for this project will be to answer fundamental unanswered questions regarding patient experiences and outcomes related to overweight and obesity, and to assess the real-world effectiveness of different weight management strategies, within contemporary and diverse populations. To accomplish this, the Study Team for this project will leverage their expertise in the science of obesity and cardiometabolic health; epidemiology, cohort and registry studies; implementation science; cardiovascular prevention and management; and disparities and community-based research to lead the development of an innovative cohort of people living with overweight or obesity with two key components: 1. patient-report data elements, obtained through surveys; 2. linkage to EHR records providing data regarding clinical encounters. The cohort will be inclusive, comprehensive, and constructed with scientific rigor as well as high internal and external validity. An overall objective is for the Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study is to serve as an enduring resource for researchers studying the health consequences of obesity and evaluating the impact of weight management strategies.

Obesity and overweight are presently the leading clinical and public health challenge in the United States. Nationally representative data demonstrates a historically high domestic prevalence of obesity, with a disproportionately high burden in vulnerable populations. There are myriad clinical consequences of obesity, with the most significant adverse impact being premature mortality due to an excess burden of cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular consequences of overweight and obesity are mediated through cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, involving multisystem dysfunction and progressive vascular pathology. While the public health urgency of overweight and obesity is well established, the landscape of obesity management has been revolutionized in recent years by the emergence of increasingly effective and safe obesity pharmacotherapies, in addition to refined approaches to lifestyle modification and bariatric surgery. Clinical trials and observational studies have demonstrated the efficacy of these obesity therapies for inducing weight loss, improving Cardiovascular-Kidney Metabolic (CKM) risk factor profiles and decreasing rates of adverse kidney and cardiovascular events. However, many substantial questions remain regarding the real world and long-term utilization and impact of these therapies, as well as the broader lived experience of individuals living with overweight and obesity. Utilizing direct engagement with participants and the examination of health records, the Healthy Living BEYOND Weight Study is poised to provide important new insights about the health, well-being and approaches to care for persons living with overweight and obesity.