Why adolescents with obesity often regain weight and how boys and girls differ
Official title: Adaptive Mechanisms Responsible for Weight Regain in Youth with Obesity and the Influence of Sex
Funded at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · NIH-11325333 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at biological changes that make adolescents with obesity regain weight after losing it, and how those changes differ between sexes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $691,697 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK127991-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11325333 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents with obesity who are undergoing or have recently completed a weight-loss program and can attend clinic visits (likely in Chicago).
✕Less likely to help
Young children without obesity, people not undergoing weight-loss efforts, or those unable to travel for in-person testing are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you are a teenager with obesity, researchers will follow you before and after a weight-loss period to watch what happens in your body as weight returns. They will measure appetite hormones, signals between the gut and brain, and how your body uses energy, along with questionnaires about hunger and eating. The team will compare these changes in boys and girls and consider puberty-related growth and hormones. Tests will include blood draws, metabolic rate measurements, and clinic visits over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results may help doctors time treatments better and design sex-specific approaches to prevent weight regain in adolescents with obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Similar mechanisms have been linked to weight regain in adults, but applying these measurements to adolescents is relatively new and not well established.
Where this research is happening
-
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ryder, Justin R. — Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Ryder, Justin R.
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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.