About this trial
The goal of this research is to investigate genetic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity through brain inflammation. The main questions are 1) if identical twins, who differ in food consumption habits, have differences in adiposity markers and brain inflammation and 2) if signs of brain inflammation in response to a specific diet is modified by genetics.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age 20-45 years
Differs in habitual diet from co-twin (study 1).
Willing to undergo 7-day overfeeding and hypocaloric feeding periods (study 2)
Member of the Washington State Twin Registry
Disqualifiers
History of bariatric surgery or active participation in weight-loss program
Major medical or neurological disorder (e.g., diabetes, multiple sclerosis)
Known gallbladder disease, anemia, impaired thyroid, kidney or liver function or hypertriglyceridemia (>350 mg/dl) (study 2)
Current use of weight-loss medications or other medications known to alter appetite (e.g., atypical anti-psychotics)
Trial design
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Diet modification
BehavioralParticipants will be provided all meals for a 14-day period. For 7 of the days, meals will be 150% of estimated daily caloric needs and for the other 7 days, meals will be low in calories, consistent with recommendations for weight loss.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Study 1: Hypothalamic Gliosis
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Study 2: Hypothalamic Gliosis
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of Washington
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Collaborator
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: