Easier diet tracking may help people lose weight without counting every calorie
NCT ID NCT07601061
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether tracking only high-calorie, low-nutrition foods (Red Zone Foods) works as well as tracking all foods and calories for weight loss. About 328 adults with overweight or obesity will use a digital program for 12 months. The goal is to see if a simpler approach can make weight loss easier to stick with.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Simplified Dietary Self-Monitoring (tracking only high-calorie, low-nutrition foods) vs Detailed Dietary Self-Monitoring (tracking all foods and calories)
- What this could lead to
- If simplified tracking works as well as detailed tracking, it could make weight loss programs easier to follow and more sustainable for many people.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral study with no drug or device, so results may vary widely. The simplified approach might lead to less weight loss than detailed tracking, and the study is not yet recruiting.
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
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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 328 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2030
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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: * adults (ages 18+ years) * body mass index (BMI) 25.0 to 45.0 kg/m\^2 * smartphone ownership * willing to install a mobile app on personal smartphone * access to a personal email account * English or Spanish language proficiency * interest in losing weight through behavioral strategies * living in the United States * willing to be randomized Exclusion Criteria: * concurrent enrollment in another weight management intervention * loss of ≥5% weight in the past 6 months * prior or planned bariatric surgery during the trial period * current or planned pregnancy during the trial period, or recent pregnancy in the past 6 months * currently breastfeeding or lactating * current use of anti-obesity medications * living with someone else participating in the study * hospitalization for a mental health condition in the past 12 months * inability to engage in moderate forms of physical activity akin to brisk walking * medical or psychiatric contraindication (e.g., end stage renal disease, cancer, schizophrenia, dementia, use of steroids, use of antipsychotic medication) * if an individual would be better suited for a more intensive or different type of intervention based on a health condition (e.g., individuals with history of an eating disorder or cardiovascular event, uncontrolled hypertension, or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus) * investigator discretion for safety reasons
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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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Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States
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