Can zoom help teens lose weight? new study tests virtual group visits
NCT ID NCT03508622
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether group-based telehealth visits could help teens with obesity manage their weight. 66 adolescents participated in 12 virtual sessions over 6 months, covering nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. Researchers compared their results to teens who attended in-person clinic visits to see if the virtual option works as well.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- telehealth group sessions
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a convenient, effective alternative to in-person weight management clinics for teens with obesity.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed pilot study (66 participants) comparing telehealth to a retrospective control group, so results may not apply broadly. Virtual group sessions may not work for everyone.
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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66 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Finished
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May 2021
- 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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14 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Class 2 or 3 obesity OR * Class 1 obesity plus a significant comorbidity, such as impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or obstructive sleep apnea. Exclusion Criteria: * Significant intellectual or neurodevelopmental disability * Inability to stand on a scale independently without assistance or use of an assistive device * Non-English speaking Given the shared nature of group appointments, participants should be at approximately the same developmental stage as their peers. Discussion topics may include stigma, body image, family dynamics, and school issues, and therefore a wide variance in age range or cognitive status could potentially diminish the effectiveness of the group sessions. Non-English speaking youth will be excluded due to limitations in translation services for such a small pilot project. English speaking adolescents with non-English speaking parents will be included.
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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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Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90027, United States
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