Scientists probe Body's weight 'Set Point' in fasting study
NCT ID NCT06309576
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study aims to understand how the body defends its weight by measuring energy use and intake after a short fast. Twelve men and women who are either underweight or have obesity will fast for two days, then eat freely for two days in a special chamber. The results will help design future research on body weight regulation.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Body mass index lower than 20 kg/m2 for the low body weight group, or 30 kg/m2 or greater for the obesity group * 18-40 years old * Nulliparous and regular menstrual cycle (25-35 days) during the last six months (in women) * Normal thyroid function, blood count, and chemistry 15 panel (normal plasma glucose will be considered at \<100 mg/dL; normal serum HDL cholesterol at \>=50 mg/dL for women and \>=40 mg/dL for men; and normal serum triglycerides at \<150 mg/dL). * Self-reported weight stability during the last six months (±3 kg) * Rate the liking of at least one of the flavored liquid meals (Ensure Plus, Abbot Nutrition) between 5 and 8 on a 9-point Likert scale * Willing to only drink up to two assigned flavors of Ensure Plus for two consecutive days Exclusion Criteria: * Eating disorders as indicated by a global score ≥2.80 in the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, or a previous diagnosis of an eating disorder * For the low body weight group, having food insecurity (with or without hunger) as assessed by the USDA * Recreational moderate-intensity physical activity ≥150 min/week, recreational vigorous-intensity physical activity ≥75 min/week, or a combination of recreational moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity (moderate time + \[2 × vigorous time\]) ≥150 min/week as assessed by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, or being a professional athlete * Cigarette or vape smoking * Intake of more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week * Use of medications that may affect energy intake and/or expenditure, for example, semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, other GLP-1 receptor agonists, phentermine-topiramate, naltrexone-bupropion, orlistat, metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, pramlintide, levocarnitine, amphetamines, and amphetamine-like drugs * Human immunodeficiency virus, galactosemia, and lactose intolerance * Diseases that affect energy homeostasis including endocrine such as hypo/hyperthyroidism, or type 1 or 2 diabetes; cancer; chronic pulmonary diseases; cardiovascular disease; and renal disease * History of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's), malabsorption syndromes (intestinal, pancreatic), and sprue or gluten intolerance * Having moderate to severe sleep apnea defined as an oxygen desaturation index \>10 times/hour assessed by overnight oximetry to be conducted on the night following the screening visit * Use of oral hormonal contraceptives or less than 6 months using a hormonal intrauterine device (in women) * Adults who are unable to consent * Prisoners * Currently pregnant or breastfeeding (in women)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Pennington Biomedical Research Center
RECRUITINGBaton Rouge, Louisiana, 70808, United States
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