NCT00428987

Physical and Behavioral Traits of Overweight and Obese Adults

Recruiting now Last updated 13 April 2026

What this trial tests

trial in Obesity in 2,000 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

8 March 2007

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment	2,000
Start date	8 March 2007
Sites	1 location across United States

Conditions studied

• Obesity — all drugs for Obesity →
• Healthy Volunteers — all drugs for Healthy Volunteers →

Sponsor

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Who can join

Adults 18 to 100, any sex, with Obesity or Healthy Volunteers. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

This study will describe the phenotype (physical and behavioral traits) of overweight and obese people. It will characterize the hormones, metabolism, food preferences, fitness and physical activity levels, sleep patterns and thought processes in people with and without weight problems. Genetic material will be collected for studies of the internal codes that influence body weight.

People over 18 years of age from all weight categories (lean, overweight, obese) who are reasonably healthy may be eligible for this study. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures:

* Physical exam, electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests, instructions for recording food intake for 7 days
* Metabolic studies for menstruating women.
* Resting metabolic rate to study how many calories the body burns at rest.
* Mixed meal test to measure hormones such as insulin that regulate blood sugar.
* Glucose tolerance test to determine how sensitive the body is to insulin.
* 24-hour energy expenditure to measure the amount of oxygen breathed in and the amount of carbon dioxide breathed out.
* Repeat 24-hour energy expenditure.
* Diurnal blood sampling and temperature assessment to study the body s internal clock.
* Air-displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod) to measure body composition.
* Dual energy x-ray absortiometry (DEXA) to measure body fat and bone density.
* Repeat Bod Pod and DEXA.
* Anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance to measure height, weight, and circumferences, skinfold thickness, fluid status and percentage body fat.
* Bromide dilution to measure the amount of water not in cells in the body.
* Doubly labeled water to measure the amount of calories burned in a 7-day period.
* 24-hour diet reports.
* Endothelial reactivity to measure how the blood vessels stretch or dilate for assessing cardiovascular health.
* Treadmill or bicycle exercise capacity test.
* Physical activity monitor.
* Unicorder to detect any breathing difficulties that may interfere with sleep.
* Fat and muscle biopsy to look for variations in gene expression in fat tissue and muscle.
* Neurocognitive testing to check memory, decision-making, hand-eye coordination, and reasoning.
* Evaluation of mood problems and assess personality type.
* Evaluation to assess the quantity and quality of pain experienced.
* Taste testing to determine the response to bitter, salty, sweet and sour substances.
* Occupational therapy evaluation to explore the subject's adaptations, if any, for performing personal, social or professional activities; the subject's views on his or her weight, body size and shape, and strategies to control weight.

Publications & conference data

8 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. TSH/IGF-1 Receptor Cross Talk in Graves' Ophthalmopathy Pathogenesis.
   Krieger CC, Place RF, Bevilacqua C, Marcus-Samuels B, et al · · 2016 · cited 106× · PMID 27043163 · DOI 10.1210/jc.2016-1315
2. Metabolic effects of chronic cannabis smoking.
   Muniyappa R, Sable S, Ouwerkerk R, Mari A, et al · · 2013 · cited 104× · PMID 23530011 · DOI 10.2337/dc12-2303
3. Adipocyte β-arrestin-2 is essential for maintaining whole body glucose and energy homeostasis.
   Pydi SP, Jain S, Tung W, Cui Y, et al · · 2019 · cited 45× · PMID 31270323 · DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-11003-4
4. Does Visceral Fat Estimated by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Independently Predict Cardiometabolic Risks in Adults?
   Sasai H, Brychta RJ, Wood RP, Rothney MP, et al · · 2015 · cited 36× · PMID 25802470 · DOI 10.1177/1932296815577424
5. Core body temperature in obesity.
   Heikens MJ, Gorbach AM, Eden HS, Savastano DM, et al · · 2011 · cited 36× · PMID 21367952 · DOI 10.3945/ajcn.110.006270
6. Reduced Insulin Clearance and Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Activity Contribute to Hyperinsulinemia in African Americans.
   Fosam A, Sikder S, Abel BS, Tella SH, et al · · 2020 · cited 30× · PMID 32052016 · DOI 10.1210/clinem/dgaa070
7. Impaired tethering and fusion of GLUT4 vesicles in insulin-resistant human adipose cells.
   Lizunov VA, Lee JP, Skarulis MC, Zimmerberg J, et al · · 2013 · cited 30× · PMID 23801575 · DOI 10.2337/db12-1741
8. Advanced Lipoprotein Analysis Shows Atherogenic Lipid Profile That Improves After Metreleptin in Patients with Lipodystrophy.
   Kinzer AB, Shamburek RD, Lightbourne M, Muniyappa R, et al · · 2019 · cited 29× · PMID 31620670 · DOI 10.1210/js.2019-00103