The Cooperative Lifestyle Intervention Program-II (CLIP-II): Design and methods

CLIP-II will randomize 252 obese, older adults with CVD or MetS to a weight loss only treatment (WL), aerobic exercise training (AT) + WL, or resistance exercise training (RT) + WL for 18 months. The dual primary outcomes are mobility and knee extensor strength. The interventions will be delivered by YMCA community partners with our staff as trainers and advisers. This study will provide the first large scale trial to evaluate the effects of diet-induced WL on mobility in obese, older adults with CVD or MetS as compared to WL combined with two different modes of physical activity (AT and RT). Because uncertainty exists about the best approach for promoting WL in older adults due to concerns with the loss of lean mass, the design also permits a contrast between AT + WL and RT + WL on muscle strength.