For Aging Research and Equity: Lessons Learned in Undergraduate Research Education.

Mentoring underrepresented students in aging research during the COVID-19 pandemic affords many opportunities for innovation and learning, for both students and program leaders. Here, we describe lessons learned from an Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) program at a women-centered, minority-serving undergraduate institution. We share program elements and assessment results related to scholars' education in aging, support through community-building and mentorship, and research experiences in gerosciences. Notably, we highlight lessons learned for retaining and training undergraduate students as graduate school-ready researchers: 1) draw students into a community focused on social justice, 2) show students that geroscience is inclusive and integrative, 3) model professionalism with flexibility, 4) keep open lines of communication, and 5) build a team of mentors around each scholar. By sharing insights from our community of practice in geroscience research and education, we hope to model best practices for URM student support in aging research.

Maintenance of successful weight loss: incidence and prediction.

A sample of 47 formerly overweight persons was tracked by mailed questionnaire for one year. They had been 32.7 percent mean overweight; 60 percent lost weight independently and 40 percent with para-professional groups. Ninety-four percent remained below the criterion of 15 percent overweight; 58 percent succeeding in limiting regain to less than 20 percent of the amount lost. Total score on eight questionnaire items correctly predicted 95 percent of the relapses and 79 percent of those maintaining (83 percent overall correct). Statistical estimates indicated that these percentages were reliable. Two of the eight items with special relevance for intervention showed the maintainers more likely to exercise several times per week and less likely to eat for emotional reasons.