Trial results for a study investigating daily habits and consumer preferences in individuals with obesity were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-01-20, involving 330 participants.
Background
Obesity is a complex chronic condition influenced by various factors, including dietary habits, physical activity, and sleep. Understanding the psychological and social factors that influence these behaviors is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study explored the impact of weight stigma on health behaviors, aiming to shed light on how such social pressures might influence daily habits in individuals with obesity.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 330 participants from the Los Angeles community with a BMI greater than or equal to 28. The study focused on individuals with Obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to either a weight stigma manipulation or a control manipulation. The study measured changes in health behaviors, including 3-day diet via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) food diaries, objectively measured eating of obesogenic foods, objectively measured physical activity via 24-hour actigraphy, and sleep, captured objectively by overnight actigraphy and subjectively.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements related to health behaviors:
- Hyperpalatable Food Intake:
- Control Group: A mean of 325.95 kilocalories (Standard Deviation 261.24) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of 262.51 kilocalories (Standard Deviation 224.09) was observed.
- Change in Self-reported Dietary Intake:
- Control Group: A mean of 100.32 kilocalories (Standard Deviation 911.66) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of 65.20 kilocalories (Standard Deviation 916.82) was observed.
- Change in Physical Activity:
- Control Group: A mean of -0.50 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) units (Standard Deviation 6.24) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of -0.90 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) units (Standard Deviation 5.84) was observed.
- Change in Sleep Duration:
- Control Group: A mean of 0.13 hours (Standard Deviation 1.38) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of -0.28 hours (Standard Deviation 1.26) was observed.
- Change in Self-reported Sleep Quality:
- Control Group: A mean of -0.01 likert scale (Standard Deviation 0.52) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of -0.04 likert scale (Standard Deviation 0.57) was observed.
- Change in Sleep Onset Latency:
- Control Group: A mean of 4.80 minutes (Standard Deviation 35.15) was observed.
- Experimental Group: A mean of 10.09 minutes (Standard Deviation 20.45) was observed.
What this means
The posted results indicate that a weight stigma manipulation may influence various health behaviors in individuals with obesity. Specifically, participants in the experimental group consumed a lower mean amount of hyperpalatable food and showed a lower mean change in self-reported dietary intake compared to the control group. However, the experimental group also experienced a greater mean decrease in physical activity and sleep duration, a greater mean decrease in self-reported sleep quality, and a greater mean increase in sleep onset latency. These findings suggest that while weight stigma might lead to some reductions in food intake, it could also be associated with detrimental impacts on other important health behaviors like physical activity and sleep. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay of weight stigma and health outcomes.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05402137, titled "Daily Habits & Consumer Preferences Study", were posted on 2026-01-20 on clinicaltrials.gov.