Study Protocol of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial to Tackle Obesity through a Mediterranean Diet vs. a Traditional Low-Fat Diet in Adolescents: The MED4Youth Study

Noemi Boqué, Lucía Tarro, Alice Rosi, Helena Torrell, Guillermo Saldaña, Elisa Luengo, Zeev Rachman, António Pires, Nuno Tiago Tavares, Ana Salomé Pires, Maria Filomena Botelho, Pedro Mena, Francesca Scazzina, Daniele Del Rio and Antoni Caimari
Additional contact information
Noemi Boqué: Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Technological Unit of Nutrition and Health, 43204 Reus, Spain
Lucía Tarro: Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Technological Unit of Nutrition and Health, 43204 Reus, Spain
Alice Rosi: Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Helena Torrell: Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (Joint Unit Eurecat-Universitat Rovira i Virgili), Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS), 43204 Reus, Spain
Guillermo Saldaña: NOVAPAN S.L, Research & Development Department, 50014 Zaragoza, Spain
Elisa Luengo: NOVAPAN S.L, Research & Development Department, 50014 Zaragoza, Spain
Zeev Rachman: SHIKMA Field Crops, 8531500 Kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev, Israel
António Pires: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
Nuno Tiago Tavares: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) Area of CIMAGO, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Ana Salomé Pires: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) Area of CIMAGO, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Maria Filomena Botelho: Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) Area of CIMAGO, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Pedro Mena: Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Francesca Scazzina: Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Daniele Del Rio: Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Antoni Caimari: Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Biotechnology Area, Avinguda Universitat, 1, 43204 Reus, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Youth obesity is a strong predictor of adult obesity, which has well-known negative health consequences. Thus, addressing adult obesity requires tackling youth obesity. MED4Youth’s main objective is to strengthen the link between the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and the health benefits against youth obesity and associated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, identifying positive effects exerted by an MD including sourdough bread and healthy products from the Mediterranean basis (chickpeas/hummus, nuts, and pomegranate juice). For this purpose, a multicenter randomized controlled trial in which an MD-based intervention will be compared to a traditional low-fat diet intervention will be carried out with 240 overweight and obese adolescents (13–17 years) from Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Both interventions will be combined with an educational web-application addressed to engage the adolescents through a learning-through-playing approach, using both educational materials and games. To assess the interventions, adherence to the MD, dietary records, physical activity, food frequency, sociodemographic, and quality of life questionnaires as well as classical anthropometric and biochemical parameters will be evaluated. Furthermore, an omics approach will be performed to elucidate whether the interventions can shape the gut microbiota and gut-derived metabolites to gain knowledge on the mechanisms through which the MD can exert its beneficial effects.

Keywords: adolescents; youth obesity; Mediterranean diet; cardiovascular risk factors; educational approach; healthy food products; omics; gut microbiota (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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