Optimizing lower-burden ways to track eating and weight during an online weight-loss program
Official title: Microrandomized Trial to Optimize Use of Burden-reducing Self-monitoring Approaches in Behavioral Obesity Treatment
Run by The Miriam Hospital · NCT07228130 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test five different, lower-burden ways of tracking eating and weight to see which help adults with overweight or obesity stick with a 24-week online weight-loss program.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 275 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Miriam Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 7, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 1, 2029 |
| Study ends | March 1, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | February 4, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07228130 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18–70 with BMI >25 who are fluent in English, can walk two city blocks, own a compatible smartphone, and are not currently in another weight-loss program or taking weight-loss medication are typical candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with unstable medical conditions, untreated major psychiatric illness or active eating disorders (other than binge eating disorder), those taking weight-loss medications, or those unwilling to use digital tracking devices may not benefit from or be eligible for this approach.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This 24-week microrandomized trial enrolls about 275 adults with overweight or obesity and delivers an evidence-based online behavioral weight-loss program. Every two weeks participants are randomized to one of five self-monitoring approaches that vary in intensity and burden: daily full dietary tracking, three-day-per-week dietary tracking, lapse-only dietary recording, smartwatch-based eating detection with calorie estimates, or daily weight-only tracking via smart scale. The trial measures which approaches improve adherence and short-term weight loss and examines for whom and under what circumstances each approach works best. Data are collected remotely via participant smartphones, smart scales, and wearable devices while program lessons and feedback are delivered online.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make weight-loss programs easier to follow by identifying tracking methods that maintain engagement and improve weight loss.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional self-monitoring is a well-established component of behavioral weight loss, but using a microrandomized design to compare lower-burden tracking methods is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
* English language fluent and literate at the 6th grade level * Body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg/m-squared * Able to walk 2 city blocks without stopping * Not currently participating in another weight loss program * Not currently taking weight loss medication * Has not lost ≥5% of body weight in the 6 months prior to enrolling * Has not been pregnant within the 6 months prior to enrolling * Does not plan to become pregnant within 12 months of enrolling * Denies having a heart condition, chest pain during periods of activity or rest, or loss of consciousness in the 12 months prior to enrolling * Denies any medical condition that would affect the safety of participating in unsupervised physical activity * Denies any condition that would result in inability to follow the study protocol, including terminal illness, substance abuse, eating disorder (not including Binge Eating Disorder) and untreated major psychiatric illness * Owns a smartphone compatible with study procedures and is willing to use it for study participation
Where it's running
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The Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center of The Miriam Hospital & Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Graham Thomas, PhD — The Miriam Hospital
- Study coordinator: Jill Eisel Research Project Coordinator
- Email: tech2trackstudy@brownhealth.org
- Phone: 401-793-8283
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.