Monitoring Kids' Eating at Home and in the Lab (MEAL-TIME)

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

The trial will enroll 100 prepubertal children aged 6–9 with obesity and video-record their meals both in a laboratory setting and at home. Each child will consume identical study-provided meals in counterbalanced order (lab and home) and also have a typical home meal recorded to capture real-world behavior. Researchers will measure meal microstructure such as bite rate, meal timing, and intake to compare behaviors across settings. The study will also document features of the home food environment to identify factors that amplify obesogenic eating patterns.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* children must be between the ages of 6-9 years-old
* children are of good health with no learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD, determined by parent report)
* children are not on any medications known to impact body weight, taste, food intake, behavior, or blood flow
* parents report that children like and are willing to eat study foods

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children are not within the age requirements (\<6 years old or \> 9 years old)
* If children are taking cold or allergy medication, or other medications known to influence cognitive function, taste, appetite, or blood flow.
* If children don't speak English.
* If children are colorblind.
* If children have a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, language delays, autism or other neurological or psychological conditions.
* If children have a pre-existing medical condition such as type I or type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, Down's syndrome, severe lactose intolerance, Prader-Willi syndrome, HIV, cancer, renal failure, or cerebral palsy.
* If children are allergic to foods or ingredients used in the study.
* child received an X-ray in the previous year (to avoid excess radiation exposure due to the DXA scans performed in the research)

Where it's running

• Pennsylvania State University
  State College, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting

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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.