Helping teens and young adults build healthy habits and body image around weight and eating
Promoting weight-related health in the next generation of adolescents and young adults:A comprehensive program of research
This program follows Generation Z teens and young adults to learn what supports healthy eating, activity, body image, and prevents disordered eating.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321564 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You or your teen may be invited to fill out surveys about eating habits, physical activity, body image, and social media use, and the research team will link these self-reports with past Project EAT data and other information over time. The team follows young people across months and years to see how changing social environments, technology, and new influences (like weight-loss medications) affect weight-related health. The work includes young people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds so findings apply more broadly. Results will be used to shape programs, messages, and policies that aim to support healthier habits and reduce disordered eating in Gen Z.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents and young adults (Generation Z-era participants), especially those with concerns about weight, dieting, body image, or disordered eating, are the primary candidates for participation.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate medical or surgical treatment for severe obesity or urgent clinical care for an active eating disorder may not receive direct clinical benefit from this observational and prevention-focused program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could lead to better prevention programs and guidance that help teens and young adults maintain healthy eating, activity, and body image.
How similar studies have performed: This work builds on decades of Project EAT cohort research that has successfully linked social environments and behaviors to weight-related health while expanding into newer areas like social media influences and contemporary medication use.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne R — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne R
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 below.