ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05231824ReLearnUpdated Sep 4, 2026

Using Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Delivery of Weight Loss Treatment

An interventional study of Standard Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment and AI-optimized Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment in Obesity and Weight Loss, sponsored by Oregon Research Institute. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-04.

Sponsored by Oregon Research Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
301
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Project ReLearn is testing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an Artificial Intelligence system for optimizing weight loss coaching. Participants are randomized to a 1-year weekly gold standard behavioral weight loss remote (video) group treatment or the AI-optimized treatment, which is made up of a combination of remote group treatment, short video call and automated message. In the AI-optimized condition, the system monitors outcomes (via wireless scale, mobile phone app, and wristworn tracker) and, each week, assigns each participant the treatments they have responding to the best, within certain time constraints.

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Conditions studied

  • Obesity
  • Weight Loss

Keywords

  • Obesity
  • Weight Loss
  • Behavioral treatment
  • Artificial intelligence
03

In context

Obesity

11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 301 is above the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

Oregon Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 70 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Individuals must be of overweight or obese (27-50 kg/m)
  • Individuals must be adults (aged 18-70)
  • Able and willing to engage in the remote program
  • Able to engage in physical activity (defined as walking two city blocks without stopping)
  • Individuals must also provide consent for the research team to contact their personal physician if necessary, to provide clearance or to consult about rapid weight loss
  • Access and willingness to use an Apple or Android smartphone
  • Satisfactory completion of all enrollment procedures

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medical condition (e.g., cancer, type I diabetes, psychosis, full-threshold eating disorder) that may pose a risk to the participant during intervention or cause a change in weight
  • Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant in the next 12 months
  • Recently began or changed the dosage of medication that can cause significant change in weight
  • History of bariatric surgery
  • Weight loss of > 5% in the previous 3 months
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
301 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    BWL-S

    1 year of remote gold standard, small group-based behavioral weight loss treatment with an MS-level clinician.

    Behavioral: Standard Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment

  • Experimental
    BWL-AI

    1 year of remote weight loss treatment made up of a combination of (1) remote small group-based behavioral weight loss sessions, (2) 12-minute individual video calls, (2) automated text messages. An MS-level clinician will deliver the group treatment. Most video calls will be delivered by a paraprofessional coach, but some by an MS-level clinician. Each week the AI system will select one of the interventions for each participant based on which treatment the participant has responded to the best, within certain time constraints.

    Behavioral: AI-optimized Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment

Interventions

  • BehavioralStandard Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment

    Behavioral weight loss treatment is the current gold standard treatment for obesity.

  • BehavioralAI-optimized Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment

    AI-optimized Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment will continuously vary intensity (automated text message, videoconference group, individual coaching call) and coach type (paraprofessional or MS-level expert) based on continuously-monitored participant digital data.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Weight change

    Weight will be measured using the Fitbit Aria Air wireless scale, which is accurate to 0.2 kg. In order to maximize accuracy, we will (1) provide instructions (e.g., place scale on flat, hard surface; weigh upon waking, without clothes, after using the bathroom), (2) require participants to confirm that they are following instructions at each assessment point, (3) use an average of 5 consecutive daily weights for each timepoint, (4) remove errant weights (e.g., \>1 kg change in 1 day).

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month assessment

  2. Costs

    All time spent training counselors, participants and supervising counselors, will be tracked by the project coordinator, as will time counselors spend delivering individual and group treatment. The web portal will track counselor time on the portal, e.g., reviewing food records and texting. While the basic time commitments are pre-set by condition, several factors will vary including participant no-shows, participant drop-outs, and counselor adherence to time limits.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month assessment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Physical Activity

    Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) will be measured via Fitbit, a consumer-grade wrist-worn activity tracker which has superior compliance and close-to-equivalent accuracy as a research-grade accelerometer. Number of days meeting MVPA goal will be used by the AI system, with MVPA minutes as a secondary outcome.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month assessment

  2. Calorie intake

    Seven days of calorie intake as derived from the Fitbit app's food log will be used as a secondary outcome. Participants will already be tracking their consumption using the app because data are used by both the coaches (per standard treatment) and the AI system.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month assessment

  3. Acceptability as Measured by Likert Self-report Scale

    Participants will be asked to rate satisfaction with and perceived effectiveness of the program. Counselors will rate effectiveness and ease of use.

    Time frame: 6-month and 12-month assessment

Other outcomes

  1. Self-regulation capacity

    Self-regulation capacity will be measured directly using the Brief Self-Control Scale (which has strong retest reliability and internal consistency and predicts weight loss and dietary health).

    Time frame: Baseline and 1-month assessment

  2. Autonomous motivation

    Autonomous motivation will be measured by the internally consistent and valid Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1-month assessment

  3. Depressive symptoms

    Depressive symptoms will be measured with the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. This self-report scale is widely used and has proven reliable across a variety of demographic groups and in both clinical and nonclinical populations.

    Time frame: Baseline and 1-month assessment

  4. Binge eating

    Binge eating will be measured with the Binge Eating Module of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE), which is a well-validated, reliable measure of eating disorder symptoms that differentiates between individuals with and without Binge Eating Disorder in

    Time frame: Baseline and 1-month assessment

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Drexel University Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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References and documents

Publications

  • Berry M, Taylor L, Huang Z, Chwyl C, Kerrigan S, Forman E. Automated Messaging Delivered Alongside Behavioral Treatment for Weight Loss: Qualitative Study. JMIR Form Res. 2023 Nov 6;7:e50872. doi: 10.2196/50872. PubMed 37930786 ↗
  • Forman EM, Berry MP, Butryn ML, Hagerman CJ, Huang Z, Juarascio AS, LaFata EM, Ontanon S, Tilford JM, Zhang F. Using artificial intelligence to optimize delivery of weight loss treatment: Protocol for an efficacy and cost-effectiveness trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2023 Jan;124:107029. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.107029. Epub 2022 Nov 23. PubMed 36435427 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 4, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05231824
Lead sponsor
Oregon Research Institute
Responsible party
elafata@ori.org (Research Scientist, Oregon Research Institute) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 9, 2022
Start date
Mar 22, 2022
Primary completion
Feb 28, 2025
Completion
Feb 28, 2025
Last update
Sep 4, 2026

Study contacts

Evan M Forman, PhD
principal investigator · Drexel University Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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