Can changing when and what you eat trick your body into making less fat?

NCT ID NCT02075710

Completed Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Summary

This study investigates how the amount of sugar or fat in a person's diet, along with how many meals they eat each day, influences the body's fat production, blood fat levels, and liver fat storage. Overweight adults aged 20–65 will follow different meal patterns—ranging from two large meals to eight small meals—with either high-sugar or high-fat content. The goal is to understand which combinations may lower cardiovascular risk by altering fat metabolism.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: controlled diets varying in sugar/fat content and meal frequency
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward dietary strategies to reduce liver fat and cardiovascular risk.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study in a controlled setting, so findings may not apply to real-world eating habits or diverse populations.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Obesity obesity disorder Overweight

As listed by the trial registrant

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

OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY

Contacts and locations

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Locations

University of California, San Franciso, San Francisco General Hospital

San Francisco, California, 94110, United States

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