Vtrim

Vtrim® is a Middlebury, VT-based weight-management company offering an evidence-based, weight-management treatment program for individuals, families, and businesses seeking improved health and easier access to proven expert support. The Vtrim® Program is based on over 30 years of research within the field of weight management, and began as a University of Vermont study measuring the effectiveness of online weight loss programs.

The Vtrim® Program offers two 12-week, online classes, Vtrim I and Vtrim II, and are led by highly trained facilitators, most of who are registered dietitians and/or Masters-level counselors, and who complete a rigorous 45-hour training program. Closed-group classes meet online once per week and are supported by interactive online journaling and a personalized graduated exercise program.

Vtrim® facilitators help students understand and repackage their attitudes about eating and exercise in a way that makes sense. Participants are supported by peer-to-peer relationships built in the online classroom and one-on-one interaction with the class facilitator.

Vtrim® is the only online weight loss program to offer programming specific to different needs throughout lifelong weight management including Vtrim® II and an ongoing Maintenance Program. For more information, visit www.vtrimonline.com.

The Vtrim Weight Management Program

Jean Harvey-Berino, PhD, RD, and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Vermont, has been researching behavioral treatments for obesity in adults and obesity prevention in children since 1992. As a result of The Vtrim Weight Management Research Program (known as iReach), Dr. Harvey-Berino has created an allegedly effective weight management program.

Vtrim's approach to weight management is based on behavior modification. Behavior modification refers to the act of altering one's reactions to stimuli – emotional or environmental – through positive and negative reinforcement of a new behavior, or reduction of an unhealthy behavior. Understanding how a person's emotions and environment influence eating patterns and behavior is an important component of Vtrim.

The Vtrim program does not prescribe a certain diet, nor are any foods restricted. Vtrim emphasizes a low-calorie, low-fat approach. The goal is to teach people how to eat less and move more.

Vtrim Research

In 2004, Harvey-Berino conducted research entitled "Effect of Internet Support on long-term Maintenance of weight loss," which was subsequently published in the Journal of Obesity.

Two hundred and fifty-five overweight and obese adult men participated in a six-month behavioral weight control program conducted over interactive television. Treatment was followed by a 12-month weight maintenance program with three conditions: frequent in-person support, minimal in-person support, and Internet support.

The research found that participants assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained comparable weight loss over 18 months when compared with individuals who continued to meet face-to-face. The research showed that the Internet appears to be a useful tool for promoting and maintaining long-term weight loss.

From February 2003 to March 2005, a randomized, controlled trial was conducted with 124 overweight and obese subjects ages 18 years and older with a BMI of 25 to 39.9. Results were reported in the 2007 study "Weight loss on the web: A pilot study comparing a structured behavioral intervention to a commercial program." Analyses were performed for the 88 subjects who had complete follow-up data. Participants were randomly assigned to 12-month Vtrim (n = 62) or eDiets.com (n = 62) intervention. Vtrim participants had access to a therapist-led structured behavioral weight loss program delivered on-line. eDiets.com subjects had access to a self-help commercial on-line weight loss program. Body weight, social support, and use of website components were measured at 0, 6, and 12 months.

Repeated-measures analyses showed that the Vtrim group lost significantly more weight than the eDiets.com group at 6 months and maintained a greater loss at 12 months. More participants in the Vtrim group maintained a 5 percent weight loss goal (65 percent vs. 37.5 percent; p = 0.01) at 12 months.

The Classes

Vtrim Online meets once a week in a virtual classroom and is led by a Vtrim certified facilitator. In-person courses are offered only in the Burlington, Vermont area. The in-person classes follow the same format as Vtrim Online; however they take place in a physical classroom setting. The Vtrim Maintenance Class is designed for participants who have completed the six-month program. The maintenance class meets online once a month and provides group support to help keep participants on track. New classes begin monthly.

Vtrim's virtual classrooms consist of one facilitator per 12-20 individuals. Lesson topics include portion control, relapse prevention, eating healthy when eating a lot, how to read and understand nutrition information, exercise, and environmental factors that contribute to weight loss.

Group facilitators have advanced degrees in nutrition and health and complete a forty-five hour training session. Facilitators host a weekly online class that lasts one hour and is conducted via live chat. Facilitators also provide support and individual feedback on each participant's online food journal.

Participants work with their facilitator to determine weekly calorie and exercise goals.

Each participant has access to digital tools in order to monitor daily progress. Tools include an online journal, exercise tracker, virtual pantry, and bulletin board. The daily journal utilizes a food database and features a recipe builder.

Awards and Funding

Related to Vtrim is Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino’s book The Eating Well Diet. The Eating Well Diet was named one of America’s Top 10 Healthiest Diets in 2009 by Health (magazine). Dr. Harvey-Berino also won the James Beard Award for The Eating Well Diet in 2008. In 2005, the University of Vermont received a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand the Vtrim research study.

Vtrim for Undergraduates

University of Vermont undergraduates can enroll in Vtrim for one unit of college credit, offered through the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. It is offered as a pass/fail course. The course objective is to teach students how to lose weight and how to maintain healthy behaviors during and after college. The Vtrim program is available to other colleges and universities.

Vtrim Corporate Program

The Vtrim program has been offered to employees at Vermont companies, including City Market, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Green Mountain Power, Seventh Generation, and Vermont Federal Credit Union. The corporate program is 12 weeks long.

Vtrim in the News

Vtrim has had coverage in national, local and regional media, and blogs including Marie Claire, Health, Prevention, New England Cable News, WCAX-TV, WPTZ-TV, VPR, and the Burlington Free Press.