Free groceries or gift cards boost weight loss for those struggling with food access
NCT ID NCT05635019
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether adding food vouchers or home-delivered groceries to a standard weight-loss program helps adults with obesity and food insecurity lose more weight. 105 participants were split into three groups: standard program alone, program plus grocery gift cards, or program plus home-delivered low-calorie foods. The goal was to see which approach leads to greater weight loss over 24 weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- food vouchers and home-delivered groceries
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward practical ways to help people with limited access to healthy food lose weight more effectively.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with 105 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The extra food support might not lead to lasting weight loss beyond the 24-week program.
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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105 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2022
- Finished
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Jul 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- 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: 1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form 2. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study 3. Age \>18 years 4. BMI \>30 kg/m2 at screening visit 5. Screening positive for food insecurity using a score of \>3 on the 10-item US Adult Food Security Survey Module109 6. Completion of baseline assessments 7. Ability to engage in physical activity (i.e., can walk at least 2 blocks) 8. Willing and able to provide pictures of food receipts to study team (or mail actual receipts) 9. Ability to reliably receive packages at a consistent location in a timely manner 10. Telephone or internet service to communicate with study staff 11. For females of reproductive potential: agreement to use of highly effective contraception for during study participation Exclusion Criteria: 1. Serious medical conditions (e.g., type 1 or type 2 diabetes, renal failure) that may pose a risk to the participant during intervention, cause a change in weight, or limit ability to adhere to the program's behavioral recommendations 2. Significant psychiatric conditions (e.g., active substance abuse, schizophrenia) that may pose a risk to the participant during intervention, cause a change in weight, or limit ability to adhere to the program's behavioral recommendations 3. Breastfeeding, pregnant or planning pregnancy in the next 6 months 4. Planned move from the Philadelphia area in the next 6 months 5. Weight loss of \>5 kg in the previous 90 days 6. Recently began a course of or changed the dosage of medication that can cause significant weight change (±5 kg) 7. Previous or planned obesity treatment with surgery (excluding lap band if removed for \>1 year) or a weight-loss device 8. Use of prescription or over the counter medications for chronic weight management in the past 3 months 9. Household member already participating in study due to potential contamination effects 10. Lack of stable residence and ability to store and prepare food
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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
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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