CoachToFit: A weight-loss program for people with serious mental illness
Official title: CoachToFit: Adapted Weight Loss Intervention for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11350383 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program uses a smartphone app plus weekly phone support from a peer wellness coach to help people with serious mental illness lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2020 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003042-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11350383 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans with serious mental illness who are overweight or obese and can use a smartphone or accept weekly phone-based coaching.
✕Less likely to help
People without SMI, those who cannot use a smartphone or phone reliably, or those needing medical or surgical weight-loss treatments may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would use a smartphone app that delivers proven weight-management advice while getting weekly phone calls from a VA peer specialist who understands living with serious mental illness. The program is adapted to common cognitive and preference needs of people with SMI so the content is easier to follow. It builds on a small pilot that showed good usability and initial weight loss. The goal is to offer a less time-intensive, more accessible alternative to VA MOVE! services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help Veterans with serious mental illness lose weight, increase activity, and lower their risk of chronic diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier small trials of CoachToFit and other technology-plus-peer-coaching weight programs have shown promise, but larger confirmatory trials are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chinman, Matthew — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Chinman, Matthew
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.