About the study

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For GPs

For Professionals

Improving diet quality of people living with obesity

The chat2 study is testing a new weight management program led by dietitians to support people in building healthy habits.

Improving diet quality of people living with obesity

The chat2 study is testing a new weight management program led by dietitians to support people in building healthy habits.

What’s the study about?

The aim of this 1-year study is to see if providing people with access to a dietitian through telehealth by video can help people improve the quality of their diet and generally feel better about themselves.

Half the people who take part will be asked to continue with current best care for obesity with their doctor and half will be given the chat2 program.

People will not be able to choose which group they are in as this is decided randomly, like tossing a coin. The study will use an app on people’s mobile telephone to help record their diet through taking pictures.

Who can join?

We're looking for people who:

Are living with obesity (BMI 30 to 45)

Check your BMI here

Are in reasonably good health

Are between 18 and 65 years of age

Have not had weight loss surgery

Are not taking medication for weight loss

Have a smartphone (iPhone or Android)

Are able to take part in telehealth video conferencing calls

Are able to come to Curtin University Bentley Campus for 4 study visits (60-90 minutes per visit)

Enrolment in the Chat2 study is now closed
Join Now
Participant PDF

What are the benefits of joining?

Receive a voucher for each visit to Curtin University (4 in total)
Free monitoring of your diet and health for a year
Test out the researcher-designed mobile food app to record your food intake
Be part of an international cutting-edge study for people living with obesity

Enrolment in the Chat2 study is now closed

Join Now
Participant PDF

About the team

We are partnering with East Metropolitan Health Service and researchers from Curtin University, University of Newcastle, University of Hawaii Cancer Centre and Purdue University for this project.

Prof Deborah Kerr
Research lead
Deb is the research dietitian at Curtin University and leading the chat2 study. Deb has a particular interest in new technologies to assess what people eat and to help them improve the quality of their diet. Deb has many years of experience working with various community groups. She was the inaugural dietitian for the Dockers and has helped many athletes improve their diet and performance.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Christina Pollard
Researcher
Christina is a dietitian at Curtin University with over 30 years’ experience working with government to improve nutrition. Christina designed and led the Gofor2&5® fruit and veg campaign and now leads the Act Belong Commit® campaign for mental wellbeing.
More about Deborah
Prof Clare Collins
Researcher
Clare is a dietitian who leads the nutrition research at Newcastle University, NSW. She has won many awards for her research (including the AO this year). Her research focuses on personal nutrition technology and the impact of diet on chronic disease at all stages in life. Clare is a regular guest of Dr Karl on TripleJ Science Hour and Shirtloads of Science.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Andrea Begley
Research lead
Andrea is a dietitian and the Head of Teaching and Learning for the School of Population Health at Curtin University. Her research now focuses on improving diet quality in the population and community. She explores the reasons for the food choices people make.
More about Deborah
Prof Barbara Mullan
Researcher
Barbara is a health psychologist and most of her research is focused on designing new ways to change behaviours related to nutrition, health and lifestyle.
More about Deborah
Dr Claire Pulker
Researcher
Claire is the Principal Public Health Nutritionist at the East Metropolitan Health Service. She leads the Obesity prevention strategy which investigates the needs of people who live and work in the East metro region and equips health professions to assist people to manage their weight.
More about Deborah
Emeritus Prof Satvinder Dhaliwal
Research lead
Satvinder is a statistician and an expert in biostatistics and health research. He works with universities around the word and specialises in the development of clinical prediction models in medical research.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Fengqing Maggie Zhu
Researcher
Fengqing Maggie Zhu is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Maggie’s research interests include smart health with a focus on image based dietary assessment and wearable sensor data analysis, visual coding for machines, and application-driven visual data analytics.
More about Deborah
Prof Richard Prince
Researcher
Richard is an clinician with expertise in endocrinology and diabetes. Richard has taught and carried out research in the area of endocrinology at the University of Western Australia and as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
More about Deborah
Dr Richard Norman
Research lead
Richard is a health economist at Curtin University. His research interests include evaluating the cost of healthcare and the importance of the value of quality-of-life care.
More about Deborah
Dr Anthony James
Researcher
Anthony is a Senior Lecturer in Curtin’s School of Population Health where he teaches biochemistry to nutrition students. He has been involved in many research studies like this one to try and understand more about how we metabolise the fat in the meals we consume and whether diet and lifestyle changes affect this in a way that could reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks.
More about Deborah
Prof Paul Aveyard
Researcher
Paul is a public health physician, practising GP, and professor of behavioural medicine at the University of Oxford, UK. He has spent most of his career in tobacco control and over the ten years started working on obesity, aiming to find ways to help people with their weight management.
More about Deborah
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith
Research lead
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith has 30 years' experience in a range of health care settings in Western Australia and is passionate about optimising health and wellness and improving the delivery of health care, especially as people move between different health care sectors.
More about Deborah
Dr Megan Rollo
Researcher
Megan is a dietitian and lecturer at Curtin University. She is an expert in the use of technology in diet and behaviour for research.
More about Deborah
Dr Chloe Maxwell-Smith
Researcher
Chloe is a health psychologist in teaching and research at Curtin University. Her research is in health behaviours focusing on behaviour change, chronic disease and risk factors.
More about Deborah
Prof Deborah Kerr
Research lead
Deb is the research dietitian at Curtin University and leading the chat2 study. Deb has a particular interest in new technologies to assess what people eat and to help them improve the quality of their diet. Deb has many years of experience working with various community groups. She was the inaugural dietitian for the Dockers and has helped many athletes improve their diet and performance.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Christina Pollard
Researcher
Christina is a dietitian at Curtin University with over 30 years’ experience working with government to improve nutrition. Christina designed and led the Gofor2&5® fruit and veg campaign and now leads the Act Belong Commit® campaign for mental wellbeing.
More about Deborah
Prof Clare Collins
Researcher
Clare is a dietitian who leads the nutrition research at Newcastle University, NSW. She has won many awards for her research (including the AO this year). Her research focuses on personal nutrition technology and the impact of diet on chronic disease at all stages in life. Clare is a regular guest of Dr Karl on TripleJ Science Hour and Shirtloads of Science.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Andrea Begley
Research lead
Andrea is a dietitian and the Head of Teaching and Learning for the School of Population Health at Curtin University. Her research now focuses on improving diet quality in the population and community. She explores the reasons for the food choices people make.
More about Deborah
Prof Barbara Mullan
Researcher
Barbara is a health psychologist and most of her research is focused on designing new ways to change behaviours related to nutrition, health and lifestyle.
More about Deborah
Dr Claire Pulker
Researcher
Claire is the Principal Public Health Nutritionist at the East Metropolitan Health Service. She leads the Obesity prevention strategy which investigates the needs of people who live and work in the East metro region and equips health professions to assist people to manage their weight.
More about Deborah
Emeritus Prof Satvinder Dhaliwal
Research lead
Satvinder is a statistician and an expert in biostatistics and health research. He works with universities around the word and specialises in the development of clinical prediction models in medical research.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Fengqing Maggie Zhu
Researcher
Fengqing Maggie Zhu is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Maggie’s research interests include smart health with a focus on image based dietary assessment and wearable sensor data analysis, visual coding for machines, and application-driven visual data analytics.
More about Deborah
Prof Richard Prince
Researcher
Richard is an clinician with expertise in endocrinology and diabetes. Richard has taught and carried out research in the area of endocrinology at the University of Western Australia and as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
More about Deborah
Dr Richard Norman
Research lead
Richard is a health economist at Curtin University. His research interests include evaluating the cost of healthcare and the importance of the value of quality-of-life care.
More about Deborah
Dr Anthony James
Researcher
Anthony is a Senior Lecturer in Curtin’s School of Population Health where he teaches biochemistry to nutrition students. He has been involved in many research studies like this one to try and understand more about how we metabolise the fat in the meals we consume and whether diet and lifestyle changes affect this in a way that could reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks.
More about Deborah
Prof Paul Aveyard
Researcher
Paul is a public health physician, practising GP, and professor of behavioural medicine at the University of Oxford, UK. He has spent most of his career in tobacco control and over the ten years started working on obesity, aiming to find ways to help people with their weight management.
More about Deborah
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith
Research lead
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith has 30 years' experience in a range of health care settings in Western Australia and is passionate about optimising health and wellness and improving the delivery of health care, especially as people move between different health care sectors.
More about Deborah
Dr Megan Rollo
Researcher
Megan is a dietitian and lecturer at Curtin University. She is an expert in the use of technology in diet and behaviour for research.
More about Deborah
Dr Chloe Maxwell-Smith
Researcher
Chloe is a health psychologist in teaching and research at Curtin University. Her research is in health behaviours focusing on behaviour change, chronic disease and risk factors.
More about Deborah
Prof Deborah Kerr
Research lead
Deb is the research dietitian at Curtin University and leading the chat2 study. Deb has a particular interest in new technologies to assess what people eat and to help them improve the quality of their diet. Deb has many years of experience working with various community groups. She was the inaugural dietitian for the Dockers and has helped many athletes improve their diet and performance.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Christina Pollard
Researcher
Christina is a dietitian at Curtin University with over 30 years’ experience working with government to improve nutrition. Christina designed and led the Gofor2&5® fruit and veg campaign and now leads the Act Belong Commit® campaign for mental wellbeing.
More about Deborah
Prof Clare Collins
Researcher
Clare is a dietitian who leads the nutrition research at Newcastle University, NSW. She has won many awards for her research (including the AO this year). Her research focuses on personal nutrition technology and the impact of diet on chronic disease at all stages in life. Clare is a regular guest of Dr Karl on TripleJ Science Hour and Shirtloads of Science.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Andrea Begley
Research lead
Andrea is a dietitian and the Head of Teaching and Learning for the School of Population Health at Curtin University. Her research now focuses on improving diet quality in the population and community. She explores the reasons for the food choices people make.
More about Deborah
Prof Barbara Mullan
Researcher
Barbara is a health psychologist and most of her research is focused on designing new ways to change behaviours related to nutrition, health and lifestyle.
More about Deborah
Dr Claire Pulker
Researcher
Claire is the Principal Public Health Nutritionist at the East Metropolitan Health Service. She leads the Obesity prevention strategy which investigates the needs of people who live and work in the East metro region and equips health professions to assist people to manage their weight.
More about Deborah
Emeritus Prof Satvinder Dhaliwal
Research lead
Satvinder is a statistician and an expert in biostatistics and health research. He works with universities around the word and specialises in the development of clinical prediction models in medical research.
More about Deborah
Assoc Prof Fengqing Maggie Zhu
Researcher
Fengqing Maggie Zhu is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Maggie’s research interests include smart health with a focus on image based dietary assessment and wearable sensor data analysis, visual coding for machines, and application-driven visual data analytics.
More about Deborah
Prof Richard Prince
Researcher
Richard is an clinician with expertise in endocrinology and diabetes. Richard has taught and carried out research in the area of endocrinology at the University of Western Australia and as a Consultant Physician in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
More about Deborah
Dr Richard Norman
Research lead
Richard is a health economist at Curtin University. His research interests include evaluating the cost of healthcare and the importance of the value of quality-of-life care.
More about Deborah
Dr Anthony James
Researcher
Anthony is a Senior Lecturer in Curtin’s School of Population Health where he teaches biochemistry to nutrition students. He has been involved in many research studies like this one to try and understand more about how we metabolise the fat in the meals we consume and whether diet and lifestyle changes affect this in a way that could reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks.
More about Deborah
Prof Paul Aveyard
Researcher
Paul is a public health physician, practising GP, and professor of behavioural medicine at the University of Oxford, UK. He has spent most of his career in tobacco control and over the ten years started working on obesity, aiming to find ways to help people with their weight management.
More about Deborah
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith
Research lead
Dr Jacquie Garton-Smith has 30 years' experience in a range of health care settings in Western Australia and is passionate about optimising health and wellness and improving the delivery of health care, especially as people move between different health care sectors.
More about Deborah
Dr Megan Rollo
Researcher
Megan is a dietitian and lecturer at Curtin University. She is an expert in the use of technology in diet and behaviour for research.
More about Deborah
Dr Chloe Maxwell-Smith
Researcher
Chloe is a health psychologist in teaching and research at Curtin University. Her research is in health behaviours focusing on behaviour change, chronic disease and risk factors.
More about Deborah

Contact us

The research centre is located at the School of Population Health (Building 400)

Address

Curtin School of Population Health
Building 400
Curtin University
Kent St, Bentley WA 6102
View in Curtin Maps

Phone or Text

0401 100 224

Enrolment in the Chat2 study is now closed

Join Now
Participant PDF
Approval & funding
This study is funded by a NHMRC Medical Research Future Fund grant.
The Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has approved this study (HRE2022-0059) and the Department of Health WA Human Research Ethics Committee PRN: RGS0000005490
Acknowledgement to country
We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which Curtin University is located, the Wadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation.​
Contact us
chat2study@curtin.edu.au
Ph: 0401 100 224
School of Population Health
(building 400)
Curtin University
Kent St, Bentley WA 6102
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