Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory

Under the direction of Dr. Hollie Raynor, the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory (HEAL) at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville conducts research on factors, predominantly dietary, that impact on eating regulation and energy balance that can be used to improve behavioral obesity prevention and treatment programs for children and adults.

The primary objectives of HEAL, through our program of scientific research, are the following:

1. Expand our knowledge of the factors, predominantly food related, that impact on satiation.
2. Explore the relationship between eating and leisure-time behaviors to better understand factors that impact on energy balance.
3. Develop innovative and effective treatments for children and adults that lead to eating and activity habits that meet current recommendations.
4. Improve the effect of state-of-the-art behavioral interventions on weight gain prevention, weight loss, and weight loss maintenance in children and adults.
5. Provide training to students interested in applied obesity research.
   a. Develop client-centered counseling skills.
   b. Implement behavior modification strategies to assist with changing energy-balance behaviors.
   c. Refine dietary and leisure-time activity (physical activity and sedentary behaviors) assessment skills.
   d. Acquire skills, such as the ability to manage and statistically analyze data, important for conducting evaluations.
   e. Improve writing skills for developing materials, and proposal/grant and manuscript submissions.

Contact

Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory (HEAL)
Department of Nutrition
University of Tennessee
Jessie Harris Building - #102
1215 W. Cumberland Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37996-1920

Phone: 865-974-0752
Fax: 865-974-3491
heal@utk.edu

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