An interventional study of Sucrose sweetened beverage and Stevia sweetened beverages in Adiposity, Insulin Sensitivity and Weight Gain, sponsored by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 12 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-15.
Sponsored by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
Among 12 studies in Obesity by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute — 3 open to participants now, 5 under way, none of them phase 3. Obesity · Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute.
Among the 12 studies in Obesity by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, this one is the only one that started in 2023, is one of 9 with no phase, and was the 8th registered.
11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 106 is above the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →3 of the 12 studies in Obesity by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute are open now, in 1 country. Each count lists the studies.
Of the 1,336 Obesity studies recruiting now, 377 (28%) set no upper age limit and 856 (64%) stop at 75 or younger; 168 take children under 18; 491 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 8 Years to 12 Years · all sexes · healthy volunteers too.
The full table on the hub →12 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2012; this study’s year is marked. 1 started in 2023.
Median enrollment 106 across the 9 interventional studies, 82 across the 3 observational. Of the 7 that completed or were terminated, 0 (0%) have results posted.
Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 122 studies on the registry; 25 are open to participants now.
1 of the studies in Obesity by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT06666257Arkansas Children's Hospital Research InstituteContinuous Glucose and E-Monitoring to Support Healthy Weight Gain in Pregnancies - The GEM Study | 2027-07-30 |
Among the 12 studies in Obesity by Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, from their registry updates:
This is an 8 to14-week three-arm randomized controlled in children 8 to 12 years old.
The main purpose of the study is to evaluate if stevia has benefits for weight control and metabolic function relative to caloric sweeteners, and whether it provides benefits in this regard similar to water.
Up to 150 children will be enrolled in the study to achieve a final sample of 90 completers (30 per group). The proposed study will be an 8 to 14-week, three-arm, randomized, controlled, blinded trial in children ages 8 to 12 years from the Central Arkansas region. Children will be randomized to consume one of three beverages: 1) sucrose-sweetened beverage, 2) stevia-sweetened beverage, or 3) calorie-free flavored water beverage. Participants with excessive weight (BMI percentile ≥85th and \<140 percent of the 95th percentile) will complete a 14-week intervention whereas normal-weight (BMI percentile \<85th) participants will complete an 8-week intervention in parallel.
Inclusion 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.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
A blood test of average blood sugar over the past two to three months, given as a percentage or in mmol/mol. 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is the usual threshold for diabetes, normally confirmed by a second test.
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.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis C tests
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HbA1c
A blood test of average blood sugar over the past two to three months, given as a percentage or in mmol/mol. 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is the usual threshold for diabetes, normally confirmed by a second test.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Sucrose (i.e. sugar): 31.2 g sugar (124.8 Kcal per serving). Participants will be asked to consume the study product once a day for 8 to 14 weeks if they have normal weight or excessive weight, respectively.
Other: Sucrose sweetened beverage
The stevia-sweetened beverage contains 48.6 mg of steviol equivalents. Participants will be asked to consume the study product once a day for 8 to 14 weeks if they have normal weight or excessive weight, respectively.
Other: Stevia sweetened beverages
Flavored water. Participants will be asked to consume the study product once a day for 8 to 14 weeks if they have normal weight or excessive weight, respectively.
Other: Calorie free flavored water beverage
Children who habitually consume sugar (sucrose) - sweetened beverages who are randomized to this arm, will consume the study product for 8 to 14 weeks.
Children who habitually consume sugar (sucrose) - sweetened beverages who are randomized to this arm, will consume the study product for 8 to 14 weeks.
Children who habitually consume sugar (sucrose) - sweetened beverages who are randomized to this arm, will consume the study product for 8 to 14 weeks.
Body mass index (BMI) z-scores
The change in BMI z-score will be calculated: BMI z-score at completion of the study minus BMI z-score at baseline
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at weeks 4 and 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Fat mass index z-scores
The change in fat mass index (FMI) z-score will be calculated: FMI z-score at completion of the study minus FMI z-score at baseline.
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at weeks 4 and 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)
HOMA-IR is a unitless estimate of insulin resistance, and it is calculated from fasting glucose and insulin
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at weeks 4 and 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Fasting plasma lipids (Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol)
Fasting plasma lipids, mg/dl
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at weeks 4 and 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Blood pressure percentiles
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure percentiles calculated using reference standards from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at weeks 4 and 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Gut microbial communities
Shift in gut microbial communities will be assessed using 16S analyses
Time frame: Measurements will be obtained at enrollment (baseline) and again at week 8 for all participants. Children with excessive weight will also complete an additional assessment at week 14.
Plan to share: No — All study subject materials will be assigned a unique identifying code or number. The key to the code will be kept in a shared network folder with access granted only to study staff who have had appropriate CITI training. Only study investigators/staff will have access to the code and information that identifies the subject in this study. Coded data for all primary and secondary outcomes as well as secondary data analysis will be shared with the Sponsor (Cargill Corporation) using an approved shared folder .
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Dec 2023 to primary completion in Mar 2026, 27 months.
Of 3,680 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Obesity, half reached primary completion within 23 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 43. This study's 27 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,843 studies reached it within 22 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 42.
Since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026, the dates moved once, on Oct 15, 2026: start Sep 2023 → Dec 2023, primary completion May 2026 → Mar 2026 and completion Nov 2026 → Mar 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute →