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Brain scans reveal how your diet may fuel obesity

NCT ID NCT05626907

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Washington Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study investigates whether short-term diet changes cause inflammation in the hypothalamus, a brain region that controls body weight. Overweight adults aged 20-40 eat specially prepared meals for 14 days, alternating between high- and low-calorie periods. Researchers use MRI scans to measure signs of brain inflammation called gliosis. The goal is to understand how poor nutrition might lead to obesity through effects on the brain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
diet modification (controlled meals for 14 days with varying calorie levels)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could reveal how poor diet triggers brain inflammation that drives obesity, pointing toward new prevention strategies.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 36 participants, so results may not apply broadly. It measures brain changes, not weight loss or health outcomes.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

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

36 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2023

Finished

Jun 2025

Lead sponsor

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

20 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Age 20-40 years * Overweight: BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 * Willing to undergo randomly assigned 14-day diet modification Exclusion Criteria: * History of bariatric surgery or active participation in weight-loss program * Major medical or neurological disorder (e.g., diabetes, multiple sclerosis) * Anemia or impaired kidney or liver function * Known gallbladder disease or gallstones * Hypertriglyceridemia (\>350 mg/dl) * Current use of orlistat or other weight-loss medications or other medications known to alter appetite (e.g., atypical anti-psychotics) * More than moderate level of physical activity (\>1000 met-min/wk) * Pregnancy, menopause, or breastfeeding * MRI contraindication (e.g., implanted metal, claustrophobia) * Lifetime eating disorder * Current smoking or heavy alcohol use (≥ 2 drinks per day for females and ≥ 3 drinks per day for males) * Weight \> 350 pounds (MRI limit) * Dietary restrictions (e.g., vegan) incompatible with controlled diets

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Gliosis Obesity obesity disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

EATING Gliosis Obesity

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Washington

    Seattle, Washington, 98109, United States

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