Could your sense of taste and smell be driving obesity?

NCT ID NCT04714892

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 Results may not be published yet.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

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Status unknown
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First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study investigates whether differences in taste and smell perceptions affect food choices and eating behaviors in people with and without obesity. Researchers will compare measures of taste, smell, and eating habits between the two groups, along with genetic, inflammatory, and microbiome data. The goal is to understand how these senses may contribute to obesity.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to
If successful, this research could explain why some people with obesity have different taste and smell perceptions, potentially pointing toward new ways to help manage weight.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial, so it will not directly test any therapy. Results may not lead to immediate practical changes.

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.

Participants

About 350 people

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

Started

May 2022

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government research agency

The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Participants will be recruited from the Washington DC metropolitan area and vicinity.

Ages

18 to 65 years

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: In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: * Males and females between 18 to 65 years of age. Due to documented knowledge that taste and smell changes with age, we will limit the cohort within this age range. * BMI between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m\^2 for healthy controls or between 30 and 39.9 kg/m\^2 for obese subjects at screening * Fasted plasma glucose levels between 68-126 mg/dl or per Clinical Center ranges, and hemoglobin A1C\<6.5% * Able to provide his/her own consent * Able to understand the protocol, as shown by scoring a 6 out of 6 on a consent quiz EXCLUSION CRITERIA: An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: * Because type-2 diabetic subjects have blunted taste responses, subjects with diagnosis of type II diabetes will be excluded. * Hypoglycemic drug intake. * Weight change of more than 15 pounds in the 6 months prior to screening * Positive pregnancy test, currently pregnant or breastfeeding. * Currently using any of the following medications: steroidal or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications, medications known to inhibit taste response (GLP1 agonists), antiepileptic or antidepressant agents, glucocorticoids, or antibiotics. * Received a diagnosis by a medical professional of morbid obesity, liver or renal disease. * Individuals with current heavy drinking. Women who drink 4 drinks or more in one occasion and 7 drinks in a week. Men who drink 5 drinks or more in one occasion and more than 14 drinks a week. * Use of tobacco products or illicit drugs (as determined by urine drug screen and/or history/physical exam) in the last 30 days. * Currently have an uncontrolled medical disorder (i.e., gastrointestinal, endocrine, cardiac, psychiatric). * Any self-reported history of chronic rhinitis, eating disorder (including binge eating), chronic upper respiratory infection, chronic allergic rhinitis, or nasal polyps in the last 6 months of screening, or current daily use of nasal sprays. * Abnormal complete blood count (CBC): White Blood Cell Count \< 4 or \> 10 K/uL, Red Blood Cell Count \< 4 or \> 7 M/uL, Hemoglobin \< 12 g/dL for females or \< 13 g/dL for males or any clinical signs/symptoms that indicate iron deficiency anemia per clinician's judgment at screening \[National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) definition (Anemia - Iron-Deficiency Anemia, Diagnosis; NHLBI, NIH)\]. * Bariatric surgery within the last 12 months of screening. * History of cancer (e.g., head and neck cancer) and/or history of cancer treatment (e.g., radiotherapy to the head and neck area or chemotherapy). * Altered cranial nerves identified by neurological evaluation during physical exam (screening visit). * Currently experiencing temporary change/loss of taste and/or smell. * Persistent loss of taste and/or smell due to COVID-19 or other reasons. * Unable to read and understand English. Since all self-report measures are in English only, participants need to be able to read and understand the English language. * NIAAA employees/staff or subordinates/relatives/co-workers of NIAAA employees/staff or study investigators.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Anosmia Obesity obesity disorder

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

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    RECRUITING

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

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