The Combined Effects of Energy Density and Variety on Intake (VarxED)

September 8, 2026 updated by: Cornell University
The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence independent fn combined influence of variety and energy density on food intake at a meal. Additionally, individual characteristics will be examined for their influence on the effects of variety and energy density on intake.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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.

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 (Estimated)

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.
50

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Ithaca, New York, United States, 14850
        • Cornell University
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Paige M Cunningham, PhD

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Regularly consume 3 meals per day
  • Like, are willing to eat, and do not have allergies to the study foods
  • Are willing to refrain from drinking alcohol the day before study visits
  • Are willing to consume a consistent breakfast the day of study visits
  • Have a BMI between 18.5-29.9 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Experienced a weight change >5 kg in the past month
  • Are a smoker
  • Are an athlete in training
  • Take medications or have a health condition known to affect appetite
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder or depression
  • Specialize in the fields of psychology or nutritional sciences.

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Experimental: Low variety, Low ED
One low energy dense food served
Other: Low Variety
Only one food served
Other: Low ED
Foods are low in energy density
Experimental: Low variety, High ED
One high energy dense foods served
Other: Low Variety
Only one food served
Other: High ED
Foods are high in energy density
Experimental: High variety, Low ED
Three low energy dense foods served
Other: Low ED
Foods are low in energy density
Other: High Variety
Three foods served
Experimental: High variety, High ED
Three high energy dense foods served
Other: High ED
Foods are high in energy density
Other: High Variety
Three foods served

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
Change in food intake
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Weight (grams) of the food consumed
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in energy intake
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Energy (kcal) of the food consumed
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4

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
Change in bite count
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
The number of bites of food during the meal
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in sip count
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
The number of sips of water during the meal
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in switching between bites and sips
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
The number of switches between bites and sips during the meal
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of hunger
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all hungry (0 mm) to extremely hungry (100 mm)
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of thirst
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all thirsty (0 mm) to extremely thirsty (100 mm)
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of fullness
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all full (0 mm) to extremely full (100 mm)
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in meal duration
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Duration of the meal in minutes
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of desire to eat food samples
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all strong (0 mm) to extremely strong (100 mm), in answer to "How strong is your desire to eat [this food] right now?". This will be used to calculate Sensory-Specific Satiety.
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of nausea
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all nauseated (0 mm) to extremely nauseated (100 mm)
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of prospective consumption
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from nothing at all (0 mm) to a large amount (100 mm), in answer to "How much food do you think you could eat right now?".
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in water intake
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Weight (grams) of water consumed
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in eating rate
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Mean food intake per minute (grams/minute), calculated by dividing meal food intake by meal duration
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in bite size
Time Frame: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Mean grams of food consumed per bite, calculated by dividing meal food intake by number of bites.
Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Change in rating of liking of the taste of food samples
Time Frame: From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Measured on a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from not at all pleasant (0 mm) to extremely pleasant (100 mm). This will be used to calculate Sensory-Specific Satiety
From before the test meal to after the test meal in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4

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.
Cornell University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Paige M Cunningham, PhD, Cornell University

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 (Estimated)

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.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 31, 2027

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).
June 17, 2026

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.
June 17, 2026

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.
June 23, 2026

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.
September 10, 2026

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.
September 8, 2026

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.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • IRB0150706

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

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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