Simplifying dietary self-monitoring to boost weight loss success
Official title: Simplifying dietary self-monitoring to enhance engagement in a digital weight loss intervention
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11450119 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests a lighter, easier way to track food to help adults with overweight or obesity lose weight through a digital program.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $730,825 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK146032-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11450119 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with overweight or obesity who are willing to use a digital weight loss program.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals uninterested in digital tracking or those unable to use a smartphone or digital tools.
What this research studies
This project builds on previous work showing that tracking only high-calorie foods can be easier and just as helpful as full calorie counting. It will compare the simplified approach to traditional detailed self-monitoring over 12 months to see if it supports similar or better weight loss and engagement. Participants will use a digital weight loss platform and report their intake, with researchers measuring changes in calories, weight, and daily engagement. The study aims to offer a scalable, low-burden method that could reach more people who struggle with detailed tracking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, people could lose weight with a simpler, more sustainable self-monitoring method.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work showed high engagement and weight loss with the simplified method, supporting a larger trial.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Michele Lanpher — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Patel, Michele Lanpher
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Predicting Weight Regain After Weight Loss Through Body Signals
A study with people who are losing weight will check how their body’s metabolism and appetite signals might influence if they regain weight later.
-
Engaging men in weight loss with a game-based mental training and app program
A game-based mobile program designed for American men to help them lose weight by combining engaging gaming features with brain training.
-
Activin signaling in muscles, aging, and weight loss
Aims to understand how activin signals in muscle affect aging, weight loss, and daily function, especially in older adults.
-
How the brain drives overeating and weight loss with GLP-1 medications
Scientists are studying how brain circuits that control food seeking respond to obesity and weight loss with a GLP-1 drug, to understand why weight loss often doesn’t hold.
-
Off-Ramp Feasibility: finding better ways to taper GLP-1 obesity medicines without weight regain
A small, patient-friendly trial tests how to taper off GLP-1 obesity medicines without quickly regaining weight.
-
Alpha cells, obesity, weight loss, and blood sugar control
This grant looks at how alpha cells (parts of the pancreas) affect blood sugar during obesity and after weight loss, to help people with type 2 diabetes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.