# CoachToFit: Adapted Weight Loss Intervention for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

> **NIH VA I01** · VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Background: Between 40% to 60% of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are obese. Obesity and
physical inactivity result in increased rates of chronic diseases, increased risk of death, and substantial health
care costs. Treatment guidelines recommend that individuals with SMI who are overweight should be offered
evidence-based weight loss interventions, including psychosocial interventions. The VA’s weight management
program, MOVE!, is attended by less than 5% of the overweight population and is not adapted to the cognitive
needs and patient preferences for the population with SMI. Effective adapted weight management programs
are not offered in VA because they are time-intensive and require the skills of trained providers who are often
in short-supply. CoachToFit can address this gap in care. CoachToFit is a weight management program,
adapted for the population with SMI, that includes a smartphone app delivering evidence-based weight
management services with weekly telephonic support from a VA peer specialist who acts as a wellness coach.
Peer specialists are individuals who draw upon lived experiences with SMI to provide services to others with
SMI in clinical settings. CoachToFit was shown to have high rates of acceptability and usability and was
efficacious for weight loss in a small sample. VA has an opportunity to address obesity in the population with
serious mental illness, currently a substantial gap in care.
Significance/Impact: This project addresses obesity in the population with SMI by evaluating a weight
management program that is not only evidence-based, it is sustainable, transportable, appealing to patients,
easy to use, and minimally burdensome to the healthcare system. This effort addresses two HSR&D priority
areas: 1) Mental Health: Testing new models of care to improve access, cost, and/or outcomes, and 2) Health
Care Informatics: Building the evidence base for ehealth/mhealth tools.
Innovation: CoachToFit’s use of mobile technology is an important innovation in VA service delivery and its
user-centered design involving individuals with SMI was the first of its kind. CoachToFit is enhanced by data
visualization in real-time via a web-based dashboard used by VA peer specialists and their supervisor. We are
aware of no other evidence-based mobile platforms to help people with SMI reduce their weight.
Specific Aims: The project aims to 1) Test the efficacy of CoachToFit, compared to usual care, in decreasing
weight among Veterans with SMI who are obese; 2) Assess the hypothesized mechanisms of action for
CoachToFit, including self-efficacy, motivation, and readiness to change; and 3) Characterize factors that will
inform future implementation and maintenance of CoachToFit using a multi-stakeholder qualitative post-
intervention evaluation guided by the RE-AIM framework.
Methodology: The study design includes a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of CoachToFit and
assess the hypothesized mechanisms of action...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9948461
- **Project number:** 1I01HX003042-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** MATTHEW CHINMAN
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9948461

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9948461, CoachToFit: Adapted Weight Loss Intervention for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness (1I01HX003042-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9948461. Licensed CC0.

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