University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center's diet study reaches a milestone and seeks to recruit more adults, particularly men

November 13, 2024

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center’s Healthy Diet and Lifestyle Study Two has reached an important milestone, recruiting more than 160 participants, half the study’s recruitment goal, since it opened in 2022. To date, more than 111 residents have completed the 6-month study. However, more adults aged 35-69 and particularly men are needed to join. The study aims to determine if healthy changes in dietary habits and a regular physical activity plan can affect the amount of fat stored in your body and abdomen to reduce cancer risk. Led by University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center Researchers Loic Le Marchand, MD, PhD and Marie Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla, PhD, MS, the project tests the difference between two calorie-restricted diets, and whether either diet helps to reduce the fat wrapped around the intra-abdominal organs and total body fat in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or White adults.

The mobile food record application
The Mobile Food Record Application uses cellphone images to monitor a participant's diet.

“Abdominal fat is known to increase the risk of a number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, including those of the colon, liver, pancreas, and breast”, said Dr. Revilla. “In Hawaiʻi, certain ethnic groups that tend to store fat inside the abdomen are also experiencing higher rates of these diseases.” The study features many unique benefits including dietary counseling for 24 weeks under the supervision of a nutritionist, and detailed body measurements using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to determine body fat distribution. Another cutting-edge feature of the study is the use of a mobile phone app to take photos of participants’ foods on specific days. The images can be used by the study investigators to monitor the nutritional components and values of foods eaten, including calories, fats, sugar, and other nutrients.

For more information about the study, call (808) 237-3901 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..