NCT05177705

The Intersection Between Loss of Control Eating and Obesity: The Role of Restriction and Food Reinforcement

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 126 (actual)
• Sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 11 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to determine the relationships among loss of control eating, restriction, relative reinforcing value of high energy-dense food, and obesity risk. In order to achieve this aim, the investigators will follow children over the course of a year, obtaining behavioral and observational measurements, in addition to a two-week restricted access and two week non-restricted access period.

Detailed description

The study will be mostly observational but will also include a randomized, cross-over design (the restricted access paradigm). The investigators will recruit children at risk for obesity in Erie County, New York (N=100, 50 boys, 50 girls). The study will include 4 visits at baseline and follow-up visits at 6 and 12 months. At the first visit, the participants will complete consent, height/weight/body fat, questionnaires, and complete a delayed discount task and the relative reinforcing value task. The participants will be randomized to have two weeks of restricted access first or two weeks of non-restricted access first, and then will come into the laboratory to do the loss of control test meal. Then they will have a one-week washout period, and will then complete the other two weeks of restricted/not restricted access. Following this, they will complete the loss of control test meal again. At the follow-up visits, participants will come into the laboratory to have their height/weight/body fat measured, complete questionnaires, and complete the delayed discounting task, food reinforcement and loss of control test meals. Participants will be compensated for their time after each visit. The details of the measures and procedures are outlined below.

Conditions

• Pediatric Obesity
• Nutrition Disorders
• Binge Eating
• Body Weight

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Restricted access task	In the restriction period participants will have their preferred (chosen after doing a preference task, including liking) food and similar alternatives restricted by their parent for 2 weeks. In the no restricted period, participants and their parents will be given several portions of the preferred food and will consume it throughout the two-week period.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-11-11
• Primary completion: 2025-05-22
• Completion: 2025-05-22
• First posted: 2022-01-04
• Last updated: 2025-07-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States