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Prevention and intervention: explanatory trials and proof of concept studies for interventions

There is a great need for effective interventions to prevent or treat obesity. To be of use in a public health context, however, these interventions must be feasible and cost-effective on a large scale as well as in a controlled (and resource-intensive) experimental setting. It can also be challenging in general to conduct appropriate research for behavioural, psychological and environmental interventions. Explanatory trials and proof of concept studies represent an important gap in research. Across all these areas, a balance between studies on prevention and on treatment will be required to produce a balanced approach to obesity and its related diseases. The identification of critical points in the life course for intervention will be important, as will investigation of differences in effectiveness of interventions between different groups (eg age or cultural groups).

  • Identification of (testable) opportunities for intervention from basic and small scale detailed research (eg psychological/behavioural manipulations) and translation into proof of concept trials in natural settings.
  • Evaluation of natural experiments and opportunistic policy experiments – particularly when the primary focus is not obesity-related (eg transport policy) (see discussion of methodology).
  • Explanatory and proof of concept trials of population-based interventions, with a focus on how these can be used to influence policy development (and with an awareness of current policy, such as around incentives) and linked to biological mechanisms.
  • Investigation of synergy and conflicts between different intervention strategies.

Priorities for MRC obesity research Mechanisms of obesity and associated disease Neuroscience of obesity Prevention and intervention: obesity and links to disease Physical activity Ethnicity and obesity Bariatric surgery as a research tool Global health Method development (including dietary behaviour)