Could your sense of taste and smell be driving obesity?
NCT ID NCT04714892
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.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 350 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2022
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: 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.
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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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
RECRUITINGBethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
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