Scientists to measure how junk food changes calorie absorption
NCT ID NCT06853288
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how eating lots of ultra-processed foods (like packaged snacks and sugary drinks) affects the calories your body absorbs. Twenty adults with overweight or obesity will eat either a diet where 80% of calories come from ultra-processed foods or one where only 20% do. Researchers will measure the calories left in stool to see how much energy the body actually takes in.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ultra-processed food diet (80% vs 20% of calories)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help explain why ultra-processed foods cause weight gain, pointing toward better dietary guidelines.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It measures stool calories, not long-term weight changes.
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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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25 years and older
- 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: * BMI 30-40kg/m2 * weight stable * able to download app and willing to use it for duration of study * does own grocery shopping * otherwise healthy Exclusion Criteria: * pregnancy * history of or planned bariatric surgery * history of anti obesity medications
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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
1 site. 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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Columbia University Irving Medical Center
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
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