HealthyTogether: partner and family support to help with weight loss
Official title: Harnessing the power of social support for weight management: a randomized controlled trial of HealthyTogether
Funded at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System · NIH-11245700 · Data updated 2026-11-12
HealthyTogether joins Veterans with a partner to teach communication and relationship skills to support healthier eating, activity, and weight loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Puget Sound Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003800-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11245700 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans age 21 or older with BMI over 25 who are eligible for VA MOVE! and willing to participate with a partner in virtual sessions.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not VA users, do not have or do not want to involve a partner, or cannot join virtual sessions are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join the VA MOVE! program together with a partner (spouse, family member, or friend) in brief virtual sessions that teach practical communication and relationship skills to support healthy habits. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the HealthyTogether approach alongside MOVE! or usual MOVE! care, and outcomes like weight, diet, and activity will be tracked over time. The project runs at two VA sites and also gathers information on what helps or hinders putting the program into regular VA care. The goal is to test whether working with a partner remotely is a workable and scalable way to help Veterans lose weight.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more Veterans achieve meaningful weight loss and healthier daily habits by using partner support.
How similar studies have gone: A small pilot of HealthyTogether showed the program was feasible, acceptable, and led to improvements in weight and health behaviors, and partner-based programs have shown promising but mixed results overall.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gray, Kristen E — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Gray, Kristen E
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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.