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Smell your meal: NYC VR study tests if scents curb appetite

NCT ID NCT06662149

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Penn State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether pleasant or unpleasant smells affect how much young adults eat in a virtual reality outdoor café in New York City. Twenty-five healthy people aged 18-29 ate a meal in VR while experiencing different scents. Researchers measured food intake and scent reactions to see if smells could guide healthier eating.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
pleasant or unpleasant smell
What this could lead to
If it works, this could help design outdoor eating areas that encourage healthier eating habits.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, completed study with only 25 healthy adults. Results may not apply to real-world settings or other groups.

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

25 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2024

Finished

Aug 2025

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 to 29 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: * Between the ages of 18-29 * Fluent in English * Free of self-reported food allergies/food sensitivities * No diagnosis of cognitive or physical disabilities/disorders that may affect appetite or eating behaviors (Examples include Major Depressive Disorder, dementia, or eating disorders) * No diagnosis of disabilities that may affect sensory proprioception related to virtual reality (Examples include vertigo, epilepsy, and ataxia) * Not color blind * Does not experience anosmia (inability or weak ability to smell) * Must have hair ≥3 cm in length at the cortisol sample site (roughly midline of the skull left to right and two inches up from the base of the hairline at the neck). * No hair transplant in the last 6 months Exclusion Criteria: * Are younger than 18 or older than 29 years of age * Not fluent in English * Have self-reported food allergies * Have a diagnosis of cognitive or physical disabilities that may affect appetite or eating behaviors (Examples include Major Depressive Disorder, dementia, or eating disorders) * Have a diagnosis of disabilities that may affect sensory proprioception related to virtual reality (Examples include vertigo, epilepsy, and ataxia) * Suffers from color blindness * Suffers from anosmia (inability or weak ability to smell) * Hair shorter than 3 cm in length at the cortisol sample site (roughly midline of the skull left to right and two inches up from the base of the hairline at the neck) * Has had a hair transplant in the last 6 months

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Feeding Behavior

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Healthy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Laboratory of Pennsylvania State University

    State College, Pennsylvania, 16802, United States

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