Differences in Eating Frequency Between Vegan and Omnivorous Diets
Differences in Eating Frequency Between Vegan and Omnivorous Diets
This study will pilot test the use of two mHealth devices. One is called the Bite Counter and
 one is called a MisFit. The study will be among a sample of participants (n = 50) to monitor
 their eating and sleeping habits. The Bite Counter is a wearable watch-like device that
 detects and records when an individual has taken a bite of food. The benefit of using the
 Bite Counter is that it places a low-burden on participants to self-monitor their dietary
 intake. The MisFit is a commercial device that tracks an individual's sleeping and activity.

 The purpose of this study is to (1) find out how the Bite Counter calculates daily bites
 taken on a vegan diet compared to an omnivorous diet, (2) examine differences in sleep and
 activity between individuals following a vegan diet compared to an omnivorous diet and (3)
 get feedback from users before the device is tested in larger studies.
In several randomized controlled trials comparing vegan or vegetarian diets to omnivorous
 dietary approaches, significant weight loss has occurred in the absence of significantly
 different changes in reported energy intake between groups. This is different than what is
 seen in studies using traditional weight loss diets (reduced energy omnivorous diets), which
 demonstrate a greater reduction in energy intake corresponding to greater weight loss. In
 observational cohort studies, among Adventist Health Study-2 participants following five
 different diets, BMI was found to be lowest among vegans and highest among omnivores; yet
 energy intake did not significantly differ among the five groups, averaging 2,000 kcals/day,
 with the exception of lower energy intake among semi-vegetarians.

 This difference in body weight without observed differences in energy intake could possibly
 be explained by higher levels of physical activity among vegan and vegetarian participants,
 which have been observed in some of the cohort studies. Physical activity, however, was
 controlled for in the randomized trials either giving participants identical exercise
 recommendations, or holding exercise levels constant across experimental groups.

 This present study will utilize the Bite Counter to estimate the differences between calories
 consumed between a vegan diet and an omnivore diet. The significance of using the Bite
 Counter is that it is a simple way to estimate energy intake. While there are many devices
 that measure energy expenditure (e.g. various exercise scales and equipment), there are few
 devices that account for energy intake. Traditional methods of estimating energy intake tend
 to utilize dietary recalls, but these procedures require much more effort and do not provide
 real time feedback like the Bite Counter does. Therefore, this study will contribute to
 current research by capturing data on dietary differences between vegans and omnivores, as
 well as assessing the usability of this device for dietary self-monitoring. The study will
 also use an objective physical activity and sleep tracker (the MisFit) to examine differences
 in exercise and sleeping between omnivorous and vegan participants.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Participants must be adults (18 years and older) that are weight stable individuals
 (having a BMI between 18.5 - 25

 -  Participants must have been following their chosen diet for at least the past 6 months

 -  Participants must be willing to wear a wrist-worn device to track their food intake
 and physical activity

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Participants should have not experienced weight loss or gain ±10 lbs over the past 6
 months) and they must not be on a weight loss diet