Easier diet tracking may help people lose weight without counting every calorie

NCT ID NCT07601061

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 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

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 328 people

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

Expected to start

May 2027

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Oct 2030

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

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: * 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.

Body Weight Health Behavior 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

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Stanford University School of Medicine

    Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

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