Study tests if filling up on Low-Cal foods boosts weight loss
NCT ID NCT02674971
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether eating foods with fewer calories per bite (low energy density) helps people lose weight. Sixty adults with overweight or obesity followed a 12-week lifestyle program. Researchers tracked what they ate, how full they felt, and weight changes to find the best way to lower calorie density in daily meals.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- low-calorie-density diet
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that focusing on low-calorie-density foods is an effective strategy for weight loss.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage behavioral study with only 60 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and weight loss depends on many factors beyond diet.
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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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2015
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- 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 to 65 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: * 1\) age between 18 and 65 years and 2) a body mass index (BMI)7 between 27 and 45 kg/m2. Exclusion Criteria: 1. report a heart condition, chest pain during periods of activity or rest, or loss of consciousness on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)8 (medical conditions that could limit exercise for safety reasons will be required to obtain written physician consent before participating in the investigation) 2. report being unable to walk for 2 blocks (1/4 mile) without stopping 3. are currently participating in a weight loss program and/or taking weight loss medication or lost \> 5% of body weight during the past 6 months 4. report major psychiatric diseases or organic brain syndromes 5. have had bariatric surgery or are planning to have bariatric surgery within the next 4 months 6. intend to move outside of the metropolitan area within the time frame of the investigation 7. are pregnant, lactating, \< 6 months post-partum, or plan to become pregnant during the investigation.
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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
-
Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory, University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, United States
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