How body fat, muscle, and metabolism differ after childhood versus adult-onset obesity

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Researchers will enroll sedentary or untrained men and pre-menopausal women aged 25–40 with BMI roughly 30.0–39.9 kg/m2 and require proof of childhood weight history. Participants will undergo abdominal and thigh subcutaneous fat biopsies, a thigh muscle biopsy, blood and urine collection, DEXA body-composition scanning, three submaximal exercise tests, and resting energy expenditure measurement by indirect calorimetry. A personalized weight-loss program combining caloric restriction and cardiovascular exercise three times per week will be used until participants lose 10% of body weight, followed by a two-week weight stabilization period during which baseline tests are repeated. At 12 weeks into the intervention, key measures including indirect calorimetry, DEXA, and blood tests will be repeated to compare acute and chronic tissue and metabolic responses by age-of-onset group.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

We are recruiting two groups of sedentary or untrained males and pre-menopausal females (age 25-40 years) with body mass indices (BMI) between 30.0-39.9 kg/m\^2. All participants will be required to provide a medical record and/or photographic evidence of weight at childhood (around age of 10-17 years old). Individuals with BMI between 40.0-41.9 may be included in the case that an individual with a much shorter height falls within this range, as BMI does not always properly define obesity type. Once the participant completes their DEXA scan, we will be able to more accurately assess the participant's obesity level and re-evaluate their elgibility.

Exclusion criteria:

Participants will be excluded if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, breast-feeding, presently using nicotine containing products (e.g. cigarettes, chewing tobacco, nicotine gum etc.), taking certain anti-depressants and anti-hypertensives. More modern medications will not need to be excluded as they don't affect weight loss or weight gain. As medication use will be screened, if the participant is using medications that do not affect our outcomes they will be included in the study. Participants will also be excluded if they have had any surgery (e.g. gastric bypass, magnetic implants) or have any conditions (e.g. iron deficiency anemia) or diseases (e.g. diabetes, cancer, IBD, history of eating disorders or mental illness) that may affect immune function and thus study outcomes, or the ability to participate in the study.

Participants must also have been weight stable for at least 2 months.

Where it's running

• Concordia University PERFORM Centre
  Montreal, Quebec, Canada Recruiting
• Concordia University PERFORM Centre
  Montreal, Quebec, Canada Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Sylvia Santosa — Concordia University, Montreal
• Study coordinator: Sylvia Santosa, R.D, Ph.D
• Email: s.santosa@concordia.ca
• Phone: 514-848-2424

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.