Which feedback helps you lose weight best? new study aims to find out

NCT ID NCT07292389

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests two ways of giving feedback to people in a weight loss program: one that only praises progress, and another that mixes praise with tips for improvement. Researchers want to see which style helps people lose more weight. About 127 adults with overweight or obesity will participate for 12 weeks.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
behavioral feedback messages (positive reinforcement or positive reinforcement plus areas for change)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help design better automated feedback systems for weight loss programs, making them more effective for people trying to lose weight.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study focused on feedback styles, not a direct weight loss treatment. Results may not apply to all populations or lead to a commercial product.

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

About 127 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

18 years and older

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 greater than or equal to 18 years * BMI greater than or equal to 25.0 kg/m2 * Weight less than or equal to 175 kg (due to scale limit) * Own a smartphone compatible with Fitbit (e.g., an Apple iPhone running iOS 16.4 or higher or Android smartphone running Android 11 or higher) with a cellular and data plan Exclusion Criteria: * Weight greater than 175 kg (due to a weight limit of the study-provided scale) * Smartphone device owned deemed incompatible with the Fitbit App * History of bariatric surgery or plans to obtain bariatric surgery during the study period * Current use of weight loss medications, or use of weight loss medications in the 6 months prior to initial pre-screening * Currently participating in a weight-loss program * Weight loss of greater than or equal to 10 lbs in the 6 months prior to initial pre-screening * Physical limitations that prevent walking at a brisk pace for at least 10 minutes without stopping * Use of a pacemaker or other implanted medical device * Currently pregnant * Currently breastfeeding * Less than 1-year post-partum * Plans to become pregnant within the study period * Lack of written confirmation that the potential participant has discussed study participation with their physician if they have been diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, or has have a history of coronary heart disease * One or more study participants living in the household (enrollment limited to one participant per household) * Medical conditions that contraindicate weight loss or prevent completion of the study (e.g., current diagnosis of cancer or terminal illness, dementia, etc.) * Recent (in the past 6 months) changes in medications that affect weight * Self-reported eating disorder within past 5 years * Unable to complete the 17-week study (due to plans to relocate during the study period, etc.) * Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent * Unable to read English at the 5th grade level * Unwilling to accept random assignment * Unable or unwilling to download the study smartphone application, wear the physical activity monitor, or use the study e-scale * Failure to complete baseline assessment measures * Failure to complete at least 4 out of 6 days of self-monitoring dietary and weight self-monitoring during the behavioral run-in period * Any other condition(s) which, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator, would adversely affect participation in the study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Motor Activity Obesity obesity disorder Overweight Weight Loss

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.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • University of Virginia

    RECRUITING

    Charlottesville, Virginia, 22901, United States

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