Ketogenic Diets for Weight Loss Maintenance: Impact on Energy Expenditure and Appetite in Individuals With Obesity

NCT ID: NCT06736028

Last Updated: 2025-12-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-08-01

Study Completion Date

2026-06-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether a Ketogenic Diet (KD) can increase Total Energy Expenditure (TEE), while benefiting appetite, during weight loss maintenance in reduced-obese individuals.

Detailed Description

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The total duration of the intervention will be 10 weeks. Participants will first undergo 4 weeks of a low-energy diet (LED), aiming to induce a minimum of 5% weight loss (weight loss phase). Those who achieve at least a 5% weight loss will then be randomized (1:1) to a 6-week weight loss maintenance (WLM) diet, either a KD or an isocaloric low-fat diet, with the first 2 weeks being a gradual refeeding.

Conditions

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Obesity

Keywords

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Appetite Weight loss maintenance Ketogenic Diet Weight loss Energy expenditure

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Ketogenic Diet

Participants randomized to the ketogenic diet will follow a diet with 5% energy from carbohydrates, 70% from fat, and 25% from protein for 6 weeks. The first 2 of the 6 weeks weeks will be a gradual refeeding, with participants slowly withdrawing from the meal replacements used during the 4-week weight loss phase, while introducing more food.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Diet Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be provided food to meet the ketogenic diet prescription for the 6-week weight maintenance phase.

Calorie Restriction

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will follow a commercial low-energy diet and be provided with meal replacements for 4 weeks aiming to achieve a minimum of 5% weight loss.

Behavioral Support

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will meet weekly with a registered dietitian, for a 20-minute consultation throughout the entire study period (10 weeks) to increase engagement and improve adherence and retention.

Low-Fat Diet

Participants randomized to the low-fat diet will follow a diet with 50% energy from carbohydrates, 25% energy from fat, and 25% energy from protein for 6 weeks. The first 2 of the 6 weeks weeks will be a gradual refeeding, with participants slowly withdrawing from the meal replacements used during the 4-week weight loss phase, while introducing more food.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Calorie Restriction

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will follow a commercial low-energy diet and be provided with meal replacements for 4 weeks aiming to achieve a minimum of 5% weight loss.

Behavioral Support

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will meet weekly with a registered dietitian, for a 20-minute consultation throughout the entire study period (10 weeks) to increase engagement and improve adherence and retention.

Diet Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will have food provided to meet the standard low-fat diet prescription for the 6-week weight maintenance phase.

Interventions

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Diet Therapy

Participants will be provided food to meet the ketogenic diet prescription for the 6-week weight maintenance phase.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Calorie Restriction

Participants will follow a commercial low-energy diet and be provided with meal replacements for 4 weeks aiming to achieve a minimum of 5% weight loss.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral Support

Participants will meet weekly with a registered dietitian, for a 20-minute consultation throughout the entire study period (10 weeks) to increase engagement and improve adherence and retention.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Diet Therapy

Participants will have food provided to meet the standard low-fat diet prescription for the 6-week weight maintenance phase.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* BMI 30-45 kg/m2
* Both men and women
* Age between 18-65 years
* Sedentary to moderately active (\<2 h/wk of moderate, structured, intentional, exercise)

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnancy or lactation
* Daily use of tobacco (\>1 pk/wk)
* Change in weight greater than 5 lb in the previous 3 months
* Cognitive impairment
* Previous bariatric surgery
* History of eating disorder
* Presence of any condition (e.g. DM2, PCOS, inflammatory disease, untreated thyroid disease, fluid overload states such as chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, or cirrhosis)
* Use of any medication (e.g., glucocorticoid, GLP-1 analogues, hormone replacement therapy) deemed to interfere with study outcomes.
* Pre-menopausal women will need to have a regular menstrual cycle (28+/-2 days) or be on hormonal contraceptives
* Fasting glucose plasma concentration \>125 mg/dl and/or HbA1c \> 6.4%
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Alabama at Birmingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Catia Martins

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Catia Martins, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 205-934-7922

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Catia Martins, PhD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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P30DK079626

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

IRB-300012956

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id