Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches to Reduce Binge Eating and Excess Weight in Adolescents (Online) (CARE2)

October 27, 2026 updated by: Janet Lydecker, Indiana University

Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches to Reduce Binge Eating and Excess Weight in Adolescents (CARE2)

This study will compare a psychological treatment (cognitive-behavioral therapy; CBT-BED) and a lifestyle beahvioral obesity intervention (LBOI) for adolescents who experience binge eating and have overweight or obesity. These treatments will be compared to each other and to a control condition that involves self-monitoring eating and mood using an "app". Participants can be located in most states in the United States. All participation occurs remotely by telehealth. The goal is to learn which approach works best for reducing binge eating and excess weight in this age group.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Binge eating is the most prevalent eating disorder but has the lowest rate (<4%) of receiving eating disorder treatment. Binge eating often begins in adolescence and is related to obesity, physical and mental health problems, and psychological distress. Yet, there are virtually no established treatments, and no clear standard of care, for adolescents with binge eating. Evidence-based treatments exist for adults, including psychological treatments (e.g., CBT-BED) and lifestyle behavioral obesity intervention (LBOI), but how well these treatments work for adolescents remains largely unknown. LBOI is an effective treatment for adolescent obesity, but has only been tested as additional outcomes (not the initial goal) for binge eating. There is an urgent need for research to establish the efficacy of interventions for adolescents with binge eating to improve adolescents' health and quality of life. This study will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which adolescents are randomized to Psychological Treatment (cognitive behavioral therapy for binge eating, or CBT-BED), Behavioral Treatment (lifestyle health behavioral treatment for obesity, or LBOI), or Active Control. In this study, we will compare both CBT-BED and LBOI to each other and to an Active Control. Active Control is daily self-monitoring (emotions, eating, exercise) on an "app", mimicking real-world self-help, followed by choice of CBT-BED or LBOI.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

159

Phase

  • 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
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Indiana University School of Medicine
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

12 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Be in the age range ≥12 years old and ≤17 years old;
  2. Have a BMI that places them above the 85th percentile based on their age and sex;
  3. Report 4 episodes of binge eating (feeling a loss of control while eating) per month for the past 3 months;
  4. Be available for participation in the study for 18 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Have a medical or psychiatric condition that would require a higher level of care, such as hospitalization or intensive outpatient care (e.g., neurological disorder, psychotic disorders, suicidality);
  2. Have a medical or psychiatric condition that would prohibit them from engaging in behavioral treatment or moderate physical activity (e.g., cardiovascular problems);
  3. Have uncontrolled medical condition(s) (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension);
  4. Be pregnant or breastfeeding;
  5. Be taking medication(s) or participating in treatment(s) that could influence weight or appetite;
  6. Have begun taking hormonal contraceptives less than 3 months prior, as this can be related to weight changes;
  7. Have a developmental or cognitive disorder that would interfere with engaging in cognitive treatment;
  8. Have a concurrent feeding/eating disorder (e.g., bulimia nervosa); or
  9. Be participating in another clinical research study.

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge-eating disorder (CBT-BED) for adolescents with binge eating and overweight or obesity, delivered remotely by telehealth.
Behavioral: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Binge Eating

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge-eating disorder (CBT-BED) for adolescents with binge eating and overweight or obesity, delivered remotely by telehealth. Sessions target cognitive and emotional drivers of binge eating through coping skills, problem-solving triggers, cognitive restructuring, and executive-function skill training; parent sessions focus on communication and support.

Other Names:
  • CBT-BED
Experimental: Lifestyle Behavioral Obesity Intervention

Lifestyle behavioral obesity intervention (LBOI) for adolescents with binge eating and overweight or obesity, delivered remotely by telehealth.
Behavioral: Lifestyle Behavioral Obesity Intervention

Lifestyle behavioral obesity intervention (LBOI) for adolescents with binge eating and overweight or obesity, delivered remotely by telehealth. Sessions provide nutrition and physical-activity prescriptions to create a modest calorie deficit and sustainable lifestyle habits and problem-solve nonadherence; parent sessions focus on the home food environment.

Other Names:
  • Behavioral Weight Loss
  • LBOI
  • Intensive Health Behavior Lifestyle Treatment
  • Behavioral Obesity Treatment
Active Comparator: Active Control

Active control: daily self-monitoring of eating, emotions, and physical activity via an "app," similar to real-world digital self-help. At the end of the initial period, individuals are presented with descriptions of CBT-BED and LBOI, choose their preferred treatment, and receive it.
Other: Active Control

Self-monitoring eating, emotions, and exercise daily in a digital "app" that is similar to real-world self-help.

Other Names:
  • Self-monitoring

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Binge Eating Episode Frequency
Time Frame: End of treatment (6 months)

Eating episodes will be assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination
End of treatment (6 months)
Weight (e.g., Percent Loss)
Time Frame: End of treatment (6 months)

Percent body mass index change
End of treatment (6 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eating Disorder Severity
Time Frame: End of treatment (6 months)

Global eating-disorder psychopathology will be assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination (scores range from 0 through 6; higher scores indicate more severe psychopathology).
End of treatment (6 months)
Weight-related Quality of Life score
Time Frame: End of treatment (6 months)

Weight-related quality of life will be assessed by questionnaire.
End of treatment (6 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Indiana University

Collaborators

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

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)

November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

October 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 27, 2026

Last Verified

October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 32948
  • R01DK146817 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

de-identified data will be shared with qualified researchers with ethics board approval and a data use agreement.

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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