Increased Protein at Breakfast for Weight Management in Overweight Adolescents

October 29, 2023 updated by: Heather Leidy, University of Texas at Austin
Adolescent obesity, negatively affecting the lives of over 18 million (34%) US adolescents, continues to be a major public health concern due to the increased risk of developing chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Thus, there is a great need to develop effective, dietary strategies that target health outcomes, including weight management and glycemic control in young people. One particular strategy that is gaining scientific support includes the daily consumption of a protein-rich breakfast. This study will identify the potential role of protein at breakfast as a key component of a healthy diet for improvements in appetite control, satiety, and weight management to reverse the obesity epidemic and prevent and/or delay serious health complications in young people.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Adolescent obesity continues to be a major public health concern due to the increased risk of developing chronic diseases, including, but not limited to, type 2 diabetes. Thus, strategies are vitally needed that target weight management and glycemic control to reverse the obesity epidemic and prevent and/or delay serious health complications in young people. The daily consumption of breakfast has been touted as an essential part of the diet to prevent and/or treat obesity. While breakfast was once thought to be 'the most important meal of the day', this notion has recently been challenged due to the paucity of existing causal evidence. In addition, interest in the study of breakfast and weight management has highlighted the importance of macronutrient content, particularly increased dietary protein at breakfast, as a critical factor. Pilot data has illustrated reductions in body fat mass and improvements in glycemic control following the daily consumption of high protein breakfasts over a short period in overweight adolescents. However, it is unclear as to whether these effects would occur over the long-term and what mechanisms-of-action contribute to the improvements in these health outcomes. Aim 1 will determine whether a causal link exists between breakfast, particularly one rich in dietary protein, and weight management in young people. To accomplish this, 150 overweight, habitual breakfast-skipping adolescents will complete the following long-term randomized, tightly-controlled breakfast trial. Participants will be randomly provided with high protein breakfasts (350kcal; 34% protein (30g protein), 40% CHO, and 26% fat); isocaloric normal protein breakfasts (350kcal; 11% protein (10g protein), 63% CHO, and 26% fat); or will continue to skip breakfast for 6 mo. Baseline, 3, and 6 body weight, body composition, and free-living glycemic control will be assessed. In addition, daily intake, with particular focus on evening snacking behavior, will also be measured at baseline, 3, and 6 mo. Aim 2 will identify the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals by which a protein breakfast modulates ingestive (i.e., eating) behavior and weight management. To address this aim, a sub-set of the 150 (n=75) will complete 10-h testing days during baseline, 3, and 6 mo. Repeated assessments of perceived appetite, satiety, and food cravings along with appetite-regulating hormonal responses (i.e., plasma ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY, and HVA (the primary dopamine metabolite)) will be measured throughout the day. In addition, post-breakfast and pre-dinner functional (fMRI) brain scans will also be completed to identify neural activation to food stimuli in cortico-limbic brain regions known to modulate food motivation, reward, and cravings along with structural scans. Aim 3 will identify specific appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals as strong predictors of ingestive behavior and weight management. Within this sub-set of 150, aim 4 will determine whether a causal link exists between breakfast, particularly one rich in dietary protein, and cognitive performance (memory, attention, and executive function). These assessments will also be paired with structural scans. The measures collected in Aim 2 will be analyzed in combination with food choice, daily intake, weight loss, and reductions in body fat following the 6-mo interventions. Collectively, this project will provide novel evidence testing the consumption of a high protein breakfast as a dietary strategy to combat obesity in young people.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
103

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Austin, Texas, United States, 78723
        • University of Texas at Austin

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 19 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All ethnicities
  • BMI: 25-34kg/m2 or 85th-98th percentile
  • Skips Breakfast (<110 kcal prior to 10 am) at least 4 days/week for the past year
  • Never smoked or used other tobacco products
  • Willing to consume the study breakfasts
  • Generally healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder
  • Metabolic, hormonal, and/or neural conditions/diseases that influence metabolism or appetite
  • Currently or previously on a weight loss or other special diet (in the past 6 months)
  • Gained/lost ≥4.5kg over the past 6 months
  • Taking medication that would directly influence appetite (weight-loss drugs or antidepressant, steroid, or thyroid medication, unless dosage has been stable for at least 6 months)
  • Normal cognitive restraint (assessed from the Three Factor Eating Habits Questionnaire)
  • Does not consistently eat lunch and/or dinner every day

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Normal Protein (NP) Breakfast
The participants in the NP Breakfast group will be provided with NP Breakfasts to consume, at home, between 6:00-9:00 am each day over the 6-month intervention. The energy content of the breakfast meals will be standardized to 350 kcal. The energy content of the breakfast meals is ~18% of daily energy intake estimated from the energy expenditure equations specific for adolescents ages 13-19y. The NP breakfasts will be 11% protein (10g protein), 63% CHO, and 26% fat. The types of protein incorporated within the NP and HP meals will include a combination of animal (egg, dairy, animal tissue) and plant-based proteins (soy, pea, gluten). An 8-d breakfast rotation will occur throughout the 6 months.
Behavioral: Breakfast
For 6 months, the participants will either skip breakfast or will habitually consume a NP or HP breakfast every day.
Experimental: High Protein (HP) Breakfast
The participants in the HP Breakfast group will be provided with HP Breakfasts to consume, at home, between 6:00-9:00 am each day over the 6-month intervention. The energy content of the breakfast meals will be standardized to 350 kcal. The energy content of the breakfast meals is ~18% of daily energy intake estimated from the energy expenditure equations specific for adolescents ages 13-19y. The HP breakfasts will be 34% protein (30g protein), 40% CHO, and 26% fat. The types of protein incorporated within the HP and HP meals will include a combination of animal (egg, dairy, animal tissue) and plant-based proteins (soy, pea, gluten). An 8-d breakfast rotation will occur throughout the 6 months.
Behavioral: Breakfast
For 6 months, the participants will either skip breakfast or will habitually consume a NP or HP breakfast every day.
Placebo Comparator: Breakfast Skipping (BS)
The participants in the BS group will continue to skip breakfast each day over the 6-month intervention. They will have nothing to eat or drink (besides water) until 11 am.
Behavioral: Breakfast
For 6 months, the participants will either skip breakfast or will habitually consume a NP or HP breakfast every day.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fat Mass Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Whole body fat mass will be determined with Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). The DXA uses a linear X-ray fan beam with switched-pulse dual-energy and a multi-element detector array. The whole body scan takes <1.8 sec with radiation exposure of 0.01mGy.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
3-day Average Daily Intake Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Free-living daily energy intake will be assessed for 3 consecutive days through daily food packouts. The participants will be provided with an excess of macronutrient-specific meals, snacks, and beverages to consume, ad libitum, throughout each day in addition to the required, respective breakfast treatment. The quantity of food provided will be ~50% more than their estimated, weight-maintaining energy intake. All food items will be initially weighed and recorded. The participants will be instructed to return all uneaten foods as well as all wrappers and containers from consumed food. Any partially eaten, returned items will be weighed accordingly. Daily energy content will be assessed from these packouts.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Glucose Excursions Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Free-living, glucose measures will be performed for 6 consecutive days using Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device. The participants will report to our facility during one afternoon for insertion. A small area on the participant's abdomen will be cleaned and the tiny glucose sensor will be inserted just under the skin and held in place with Tegederm. The sensor measures glucose every 10sec and records an average glucose value every 5min for up to 144h.Calibration is performed by 4 finger sticks/d with a glucose analyzer.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
PYY Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, 22 blood samples (4 ml/sample) will be collected throughout a 10-h period. The samples will be collected in EDTA test tubes containing pefabloc SC and DPP-IV to reduce protein degradation. Within 10-min of collection, the samples will be centrifuged, and the plasma will be stored at -80°C for future analysis. Plasma total PYY will be measured using magnetic bead-based multi-analyte assays (Millipore, St.Charles, MO) & Luminex technologies (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX).
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Fullness Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, 22 questionnaires, assessing feelings of 'fullness' will be collected over a 10-h period. The questionnaires contain VAS incorporating a 100mm horizontal line rating scale for each response. The questions are worded as "how strong is your feeling of" with anchors of "not all" to "extremely." The Adaptive Visual Analog Scale Software will be used for data collection (Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory and Clinic; San Antonio, TX).
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Cravings for Fats Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, 22 questionnaires, assessing cravings for fat foods will be collected over a 10-h period. The questionnaires contain VAS incorporating a 100mm horizontal line rating scale for each response. The questions are worded as "how strong is your feeling of" with anchors of "not all" to "extremely." The Adaptive Visual Analog Scale Software will be used for data collection (Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory and Clinic; San Antonio, TX).
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
fMRI Anterior Cingulate Neural Response Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, the participants will arrive at the testing facilities 1-h prior to breakfast, following a 10-h overnight fast. The participants will be taken to a self-contained, comfortable, quiet room. At +0 min, the participants will consume the respective breakfast (or continue to skip breakfast). Immediately after breakfast, the participants will complete a food cue-stimulated fMRI brain scan. After the completion of the scan participants will complete the remaining testing procedures. At approximately 4-h after breakfast the participants will be provided with a standardized lunch and then continue with testing procedures. 3.5-h following lunch, participants will complete a final fMRI brain scan.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep Health
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Free-living sleep will be measured for 7 days through actigraphy. The device will be worn on the wrist for 7 days and the participant will continuously wear it over the next 7 days for an overall measurement of sleep quality. Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness will also be assessed using sleep diaries and questionnaires.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Cognitive Function
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, the participants will arrive at the testing facilities 1-h prior to breakfast, following a 10-h overnight fast. The participants will be taken to a self-contained, comfortable, quiet room. 30 minutes prior to breakfast, participants will begin a series of cognitive tests assessing memory, attention, and executive function. At +0 min, the participants will consume the respective breakfast (or continue to skip breakfast). At +90 and +150 min, participants will complete the same series of cognitive tests assessing memory, attention, and executive function.
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Structural MRI Change
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 month
During a single clinical visit, the participants will arrive at the testing facilities 1-h prior to breakfast, following a 10-h overnight fast. The participants will be taken to a self-contained, comfortable, quiet room. At +0 min, the participants will consume the respective breakfast (or continue to skip breakfast). After breakfast, the participants will complete a brain scan that includes structural analysis.
Baseline and 6 month
Cortisol Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Salivary samples will be collected prior to sleep onset and upon waking at various times throughout baseline, 3-month, and 6-month testing periods. The samples will be collected in mini cryo-tubes and stored at -80°C for future analysis. Salivary cortisol will be measured using a competitive immunoassay designed and validated for the quantitative determination of melatonin in saliva (Salimetrics, State College, PA).
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Melatonin Change
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month
Salivary samples will be collected prior to sleep onset and upon waking at various times throughout baseline, 3-month, and 6-month testing periods. The samples will be collected in mini cryo-tubes and stored at -80°C for future analysis. Salivary melatonin will be measured using a competitive immunoassay designed and validated for the quantitative determination of melatonin in saliva (Salimetrics, State College, PA).
Baseline, 3 month, and 6 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Texas at Austin

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Kansas Medical Center
University of Tennessee

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 30, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 7, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 7, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 10, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 31, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 29, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1611018490

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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