An observational study in Obesity, sponsored by Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Recruiting at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-10-03.
Sponsored by Istituto Auxologico Italiano · Observational
The identification of safe and effective strategies for weight loss and long-term maintenance is critical to reduce the alarming prevalence of obesity worldwide and mitigate obesity-associated health risks. Specifically, Binge Eating (BE) and Food Addiction (FA) behaviors are well known causes of failed weight loss and weight regain. The definitions of their clinical phenotypes are currently evolving. Recent evidence suggests that food choices, behavior and reward may be driven also by taste perception.
The hypothesis of this study is that subjects with dysfunctional eating behavior have different taste thresholds compared to obese subjects without eating disorders, and that this characteristic influences food choice and eating behavior. Identifying a difference in the taste thresholds between obese with and without eating disorder will allow us to understand why certain individuals over-consume or binge on densely caloric foods and to give them a tailored dietary treatment so as to maintain weight loss for a long time.
The Binge eating and Food Addiction is assessed using Binge Eating Scale and Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. Subjects with obesity recruited are divided in 4 groups: without eating disorder, with food addiction (FA), with binge eating (BE) and with FA + BE. In these groups sweet and salty taste will be measured with the 3-Alternative-Forced-Choice method.
11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 300 is above the median of 114 across 2,154 observational studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →Istituto Auxologico Italiano is the lead sponsor of 202 studies on the registry; 68 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Subjects with obesity referred to Istituto Auxologico Italiano for weight loss program
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.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
sweet taste recognition threshold
The sweet taste recognition threshold is assessed in subjects without eating disorders, with FA,with BE and FA+ BE
Time frame: baseline
salt taste recognition threshold
The salt taste recognition threshold is assessed in subjects without eating disorders, with FA,with BE and FA+ BE
Time frame: baseline
prevalence of binge eating (BE)
percentage of subjects recruited with BE
Time frame: baseline
prevalence of Food Addiction (FA)
percentage of subjects recruited with FA
Time frame: baseline
prevalence of Food Addiction (FA) + Binge Eating (BE)
percentage of subjects recruited with FA+BE
Time frame: baseline
Started Nov 2020 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 73 months after the start.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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