New tool aims to get veterans moving on weight loss
NCT ID NCT05424081
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a self-help tool called EMBER to see if it helps veterans with obesity engage in VA weight management programs. 470 veterans were randomly assigned to receive EMBER or just a list of programs. Researchers tracked whether participants used weight management services over 2 and 6 months. The goal was to see if a simple tool could boost program enrollment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Self-help tool (EMBER)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to help more veterans start weight management programs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study focused on engagement, not weight loss itself. The tool may not lead to lasting behavior change or weight reduction.
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
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470 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2022
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 79 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: * Veteran using primary care at VA Palo Alto or Houston in prior year * BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Age 80 or older * Documentation of a suicide attempt in the past 30 days * Hospitalization in the past 30 days * Documentation or other evidence of cognitive impairment * VA weight management program use in past 2 years * Self-report from potential participant that they will not be in town for the majority of the 2 months following baseline * Self-report from potential participant they plan to leave VA Palo Alto or Houston within the next 6 months * Under age 18
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX
Houston, Texas, 77030-4211, United States
-
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, California, 94304-1207, United States
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