Which mindset helps you lose more weight? study tests three strategies

NCT ID NCT05799846

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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

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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares three different 12-month online weight loss programs for adults with obesity. One program focuses on standard behavioral techniques, another on preventing future health problems, and a third on promoting future benefits of a healthy weight. Researchers aim to see which approach leads to the greatest weight loss and what personal traits predict success.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
three different online behavioral weight loss interventions: Standard, PREVENT (focusing on avoiding future negative consequences), and PROMOTE (focusing on future benefits of a healthy weight)
What this could lead to
If successful, this study could identify the most effective psychological strategy for weight loss, helping tailor programs to individual needs.
What could go wrong
This is a behavioral trial with no drug; results depend on participant adherence and may not apply to everyone. Weight regain after treatment is possible.

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 360 people

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

Started

Mar 2023

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

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 to 70 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: * Participants will be between the ages of 18 and 70, have a BMI between 25 and 45 kg/m2, and have regular (i.e., weekly) access to the Internet, defined as owning a smart phone with Internet capabilities, and/or having a broadband or Wi-Fi connection at home or work. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusionary criteria include: 1) current enrollment in a weight loss program, 2) currently taking weight loss medications, 3) history of bariatric surgery or planned bariatric surgery in the next 18 months, 4) individuals who are pregnant, nursing, or have plans to become pregnant within the next 18 months, 5) individuals planning to relocate outside the area in the next 18 months, 6) any medical condition for which weight loss would be contraindicated, 7) neurological or psychiatric conditions including but not limited to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, 8) inability to attend assessments at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center in Providence, RI. Individuals with mobility issues, dizziness, or history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer will be required to provide physician consent prior to enrolling.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Obesity are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

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.

  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

    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

  • Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center

    RECRUITING

    Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.