Veterans fight obesity with a friend: new study tests buddy system for weight loss
NCT ID NCT06619041
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether a virtual weight management program that includes a support person (like a family member or friend) helps Veterans with obesity lose weight. 320 Veterans and their partners will participate in 8 virtual sessions over 14 weeks. The main goal is to see if this approach leads to weight loss and healthier habits compared to standard care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- HealthyTogether behavioral intervention
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide an effective, scalable weight management option for Veterans that leverages social support.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage behavioral trial. Results may not generalize to non-Veterans, and weight loss may be modest or not sustained long-term.
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
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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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About 320 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 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: Veteran participants: * Assigned to a VA primary care provider * Have a weight measurement (BMI\>=30) recorded in the VA medical record within 16 weeks prior to enrollment * Have a second, valid weight measurement recorded in the VA medical record within the prior year * Have a BMI\>=30 at enrollment * Able to participate in virtual intervention sessions during regular business hours Partner participants: * Able to participate in virtual intervention sessions during regular business hours * Speak with Veteran at last weekly * Live in the same state where Veteran receives VA care Exclusion Criteria: Veterans are excluded if: * not fluent in English * have severe hearing loss prohibiting participation * have a dementia diagnosis * have recently (within the past 3 months) participated in a clinical or research behavioral weight management program * have a history of (within past 2 years) or plans to (within next 6 months) have bariatric surgery * are pregnant, postpartum, nursing, or planning to become pregnant within 6 months * are receiving cancer (non-skin) treatment * have drug or alcohol dependence not in remission, a recent suicide attempt, active psychosis, or an active behavior flag in the medical record * report high-levels of alcohol use (AUDIT-C score \>=8) * are receiving hospice or palliative care * are living in a nursing home or assisted living facility * are enrolled in VA home-based primary care * have end stage renal disease * have a current or past diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia * have had an inpatient hospitalization in the past 3 months * weigh more than 440 pounds (this is the upper limit of the study's scales) Partners are excluded if: * not fluent in English * have severe hearing loss prohibiting participation * endorse having a health condition that may limit their ability to participate in the intervention * report high-levels of current alcohol use (AUDIT-C score \>=8) * are receiving hospice or palliative care * are living in a nursing home or assisted living facility
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO
RECRUITINGAurora, Colorado, 80045-7211, United States
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VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division, Seattle, WA
RECRUITINGSeattle, Washington, 98108-1532, United States
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