A new clinical trial led by Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., is paving the way for a more efficient and accessible approach to weight-loss treatment. Supported by a $1.6 million NIH grant, the SMARTer Weight Loss Management study will test an adaptive behavioral intervention designed to deliver the same health benefits as current gold-standard programs, at a fraction of the cost and effort.

The project builds on years of NIH-funded research by Spring’s team to improve the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a proven behavioral treatment for reducing diabetes risk. Although highly effective, the DPP’s cost and one-size-fits-all model have limited its adoption. By breaking down and testing individual components, Spring’s group developed a streamlined version that achieved similar weight-loss outcomes at less than one-third the cost.

The new SMARTer stepped-care model tailors treatment intensity to each participant’s needs, beginning with technology-based tracking and telehealth coaching and adding meal replacements only for those who need additional support. Using less than half the time and resources required by the DPP, the trial will assess whether this adaptive, cost-effective approach can deliver equally strong and more sustainable results.