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Gamified app teaches body image flexibility to young women at risk for eating disorders

NCT ID NCT05609409

Symptom relief Sponsor: Duke University 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 06, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests a digital, gamified program called FlexED designed to help young women aged 15-25 with early signs of eating disorders. Participants complete eight 20-30 minute sessions on their phone, following an avatar through a story and interactive exercises based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to build body image flexibility. The study measures changes in heart rate, eye gaze, and reaction time to body-image triggers to see how quickly and effectively the intervention works.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
FlexED (digital gamified ACT-based intervention)
What this could lead to
If effective, this could provide a scalable, accessible early intervention for eating disorder symptoms in young women.
What could go wrong
This is a small early-stage trial with 34 participants, so results may not generalize. The intervention is digital and self-guided, which may limit engagement or effectiveness for some.

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

34 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2024

Finished

May 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

15 to 25 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * Female identified 15-25 years old * Weight Concerns Scale score of \>47 * Eating disorder behaviors with onset at current level \<3 years Exclusion Criteria: * Currently meet diagnostic criteria for anorexia or bulimia nervosa * Psychosis, substance use disorder or current suicidal ideation or self-harm. * Start or change in psychiatric medications within the past month. * NonEnglish Speaking. * Presents with other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) that does not includes weight/shape concerns as a primary feature (e.g., Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

eating disorder Feeding and Eating Disorders

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Body image Eating disorders

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Duke University

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.