WATCH: A healthy habits program to help diverse teens manage weight
Official title: Wellness Achieved Through Changing Habits (WATCH): An Acceptance-Based Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for Diverse Adolescents
Funded at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware · NIH-11172475 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A group program teaching acceptance-based skills to help teens with overweight or obesity stick with healthier eating and activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Wilmington, United States) |
| Project start | August 9, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $709,790 |
| NIH project number | 7R33HL158514-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172475 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Teens with overweight or obesity—particularly adolescent girls and youth from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds—who can attend in-person group sessions and follow behavioral goals.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children outside the adolescent age range, or people whose weight issues are driven primarily by medical conditions or active eating disorders may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
As a teen with overweight, you would join a 6-month program made up of about 15 in-person group sessions led by an instructor trained in acceptance-based therapy. The sessions teach self-regulation, mindfulness, and ways to tolerate uncomfortable feelings so you can follow diet and activity goals in real-life situations. The program was developed with input from adolescents and includes activity monitoring and ongoing follow-up to support adherence. Early feasibility testing showed the approach was acceptable to teens, and this work expands testing with diverse adolescent participants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help teens lose weight and keep it off by improving coping skills, self-control, and consistent healthy behaviors.
How similar studies have gone: Acceptance-based therapy has produced strong weight loss results in adults and early feasibility work in adolescents was promising, but larger definitive trials in teens remain limited.
Where this research is happening
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Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Wilmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Manasse, Stephanie — Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
- Study coordinator: Manasse, Stephanie
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.