Weight loss app for adolescents
Official title: A Displacement Theory Mobile Health Weight Loss Intervention: A Pilot Clinical Trial
Run by University of California, Los Angeles · NCT05530538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new smartphone app to help teenagers with obesity cut down on overeating by getting their feedback during the development process.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years to 21 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 38 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 1, 2023 |
| Main results expected | December 2026 |
| Study ends | July 2027 |
| Registry record updated | December 22, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT05530538 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are adolescents aged 14-18 who are motivated to lose weight and have a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age and gender.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with psychiatric conditions or developmental delays that require ongoing treatment may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This project aims to develop and test a smartphone app designed to help adolescents with obesity reduce over-eating behaviors. The app is based on displacement theory, which suggests that addictive behaviors stem from situations that individuals feel unable to confront. The development process will involve input from various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and individuals with obesity. The app will undergo beta testing with two groups of teens to gather feedback and make necessary modifications, followed by an evaluation of its feasibility among a larger group of adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this app could provide adolescents with effective tools to manage their eating behaviors and promote healthier lifestyles.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown promise in using technology-based interventions for weight management, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 14-21 years old 2. Has an iPhone or are willing to use a study iPhone 3. Ability to read and speak English 4. Endorsement of one of the three items listed below on the five-item S-weight questionnaire indicating motivation for change During the last year I haven't done anything to lose weight but I'm planning to do something over the next 30 days. I've been making an effort to lose weight (by dieting1 and/or exercising2) for less than 6 months. I've been making an effort to maintain my weight (by dieting1 and/or exercising2) for more than 6 months. 6\. Body mass index \[BMI\] ≥85th percentile for age and gender Exclusion Criteria: 1. Any psychiatric condition and/or developmental delay which would require immediate or ongoing treatment that would make study participation difficult or harmful 2. Parent/guardian-reported physical, mental of other inability to provide consent or refusal to provide consent for minor children 3. Self-reported diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome, brain tumor, hypothalamic obesity, or other diagnosis associated with obesity 4. Concurrent participation in an alternative weight loss intervention 5. Participation in the study team's previous app weight loss studies (exclusion for trial but not beta testing participants)
Where it's running
-
UCLA Marion Davies Children's Center
Los Angeles, California, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Vibha Singhal, MD, MBBS, MPH — University of California, Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Ashley Huynh
- Email: amhuynh@mednet.ucla.edu
- Phone: 3108939522
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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.