The Pennington Center staff is impressed and pleased with Ray’s excitement and enthusiasm toward the study. “We could not have asked for a better participant,” said Leonie Heilbronn, one of the principle investigators of the CALEIRE study. “It’s tough to find qualified, willing participants who can comply with seven months of monitored meals, exercise, in-house stays, and tests. The schedule is strict, but the benefits of participating in the CALERIE study definitely outweigh the sacrifices.”

Ray said he is dedicated to helping the Center achieve its goals for the CALERIE study. “I was mainly interested in this study to learn how to eat better and improve my diet,” Ray said. “I want to gain as much dietary and exercise information as possible from the Pennington Center staff. I hope to improve my overall health and lower my risk for age-related diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Research assistant Robbie Durand is collecting information about Ray's oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to calculate how many calories he is expending during different workloads.