A Culinary-Based Intensive Lifestyle Program for Patients with Obesity: The Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Curriculum (TKCC) Pilot Study.

Background

This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a teaching kitchen intervention that synergistically provided nutrition education, culinary skills/techniques, mindfulness, physical activity, and behavior change strategies.

Methods

Non-randomized pilot study of 16 weekly 2 h hands-on virtual culinary sessions. Curbside grocery pickup assured food access/consistency. Qualitative interviews and pre/post-anthropometrics (BMI, waist circumference), labs (fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, HbA1c, ALT), and health habits surveys assessed program impact.

Results

The program was successfully implemented from January to May of 2022. Of 56 participants screened, 13 (23%) enrolled, and 12 (92%) completed the program (mean age 51 years; 92% female; 92% white) with an average of 15.4 of 16 (96%) sessions attended and 100% completing assessments. Satisfaction with the program and with virtual cooking was high (100% and 92% satisfied-very satisfied). Days/week main meal was prepared from scratch increased from 3.8 to 5.9 (p < 0.05). Sense of well-being and three core mindfulness items (satiety, snacking, and food appreciation) improved (p ≤ 0.05). Confidence in 13 culinary skills/techniques improved (p < 0.05), as did diet recall and daily exercise, with variable significance. Labs improved LDL significantly (p < 0.05); anthropometrics did not.

Conclusions

This teaching kitchen program was feasible, very well accepted, and suggested potential efficacy in improving health habits and metrics. Larger studies with randomization are needed.