Obesity & OverweightTEFALNCT07400159
Postprandial Thermogenesis in Obese Adolescents: Effect of Weight Loss
A study testing Anthropometric measurements, Body composition assessment and Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire in people with Obesity & Overweight, run by Centre Hospitalier Emile Roux at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
The prevention and management of pediatric obesity require a thorough understanding and consideration of the various components of energy balance (i.e., intake and expenditure) and their interactions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 11 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity & Overweight
- What is being tested?
- Anthropometric measurements, Body composition assessment and Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 28 Feb 2026to Jun 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 11 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
None listed.
Who cannot join
- Refusal of consent by legal guardians,
- Regular consumption of tobacco or alcohol,
- Special diet,
- Participation in regular and intense physical and sporting activities,
- Medical or surgical history deemed by the investigator to be incompatible with the study,
- Presence of diabetes, and any other condition limiting the application of either strategy being tested,
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- Adolescents undergoing energy restriction or a weight loss program through physical activity at the time of inclusion or during the last 6 months,
- Taking medication that may interfere with the study results.
- Adolescents with cardiovascular problems, i.e., subjects with a history of cardiovascular and/or neurovascular disease, as well as subjects with cardiovascular and/or neurovascular risk factors (excluding obesity/overweight).
- Surgery in the previous 3 months,
- Adolescents who are currently excluded from another study,
- Pregnant or breastfeeding adolescents,
- Adolescents under guardianship/curatorship or legal protection,
- Parents under guardianship/curatorship or legal protection.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site
Laboratoire AME2P, Université Clermont Auvergne
Aubière, 63170
David THIVEL, Principal Investigator, 04 73 40 76 79 ext. 0033, David.thivel@uca.fr
David THIVEL
About this study
The prevention and management of pediatric obesity require a thorough understanding and consideration of the various components of energy balance (i.e., intake and expenditure) and their interactions. Total energy expenditure (TEE) consists of resting metabolism (RM), energy expenditure induced by physical activity (EEPA), and dietary thermogenesis (DTE). While RM and EEPA are the two main contributors to TEE, DTE is often overlooked, even though it can account for around 10% of our daily energy expenditure. In fact, few studies have prioritized the evaluation of the thermic effect of food (TEF), defined as the increase in energy expenditure above the basal metabolic rate when fasting, despite the fact that it accounts for about 10% of total daily energy expenditure. It has been suggested that TEF may play a role in the development or maintenance of obesity.
Some studies indicate a reduction in TEF in individuals living with obesity, possibly due to lower postprandial activation of the sympathetic nervous system, thereby limiting the thermogenic response after meals. Conversely, several studies have reported no decrease in TEF in individuals living with obesity. Due to these conflicting results, no consensus has been reached on the response of TEF in individuals with obesity compared to those of normal weight.
Read more
While our team recently conducted a systematic review of the literature in this area, identifying a glaring lack of evidence, the few results available suggest a potential reduction in TEF in children and adolescents with obesity, contributing to minimizing the optimization of their daily energy balance. In their study, Maffeis and colleagues show, for example, a significantly reduced TEF in adolescents with obesity compared to their normal-weight counterparts, despite a higher-calorie test meal adapted to their energy needs.
These results are consistent with those proposed by Salas-Salvado the following year, which suggest a reduced TEF in obese adolescents, associated with their percentage of body fat.This research suggests the need to consider the effects of weight status, body composition, and the caloric composition of a meal in order to better understand TEF in this population. Furthermore, while our team has repeatedly highlighted adaptations in resting metabolism and exercise metabolism in response to weight loss in obese adolescents, the TEF responses to these interventions have also been little studied in adolescents. To our knowledge, there is only one study that has qualitatively assessed this adaptation of TEF to weight loss in this population. According to the authors, while DHEA was reduced at baseline in obese adolescents compared to their normal-weight counterparts, weight loss appeared to increase DHEA levels, but this remains to be confirmed. In this context, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of weight loss on dietary thermogenesis in obese adolescents. It will also compare the thermogenesis of these adolescents before weight loss with that of adolescents of normal weight.
- Conditions
- Obesity & Overweight
- Being tested
- Anthropometric measurements, Body composition assessment, Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire
- Keywords
- dietary thermogenesis in obese adolescents
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity, Overweight
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Anthropometric measurementsDiagnostic test
For both arms, participants' body weight will be measured to the nearest 0.1 kg using a calibrated manual scale. Height will be measured to the nearest 0.5 cm using a standard wall-mounted height gauge. Waist circumference (WC) will be measured halfway between the last rib and the upper edge of the iliac crest. The Quételet index will be expressed as a Z-score using the "calimco" software adapted to the French population, in order to compare changes in the Quételet index regardless of age and gender.
Body composition assessmentDiagnostic test
For both arms, body composition will be assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, QDR-4500A, Hologic, Inc., Waltham, MA). Scanning the body with an X-ray beam at two different energy levels allows for the measurement of body composition (mineral mass, active tissue mass, and fat mass) and bone geometry in both adults and children. Measurements will be taken of the whole body, the lumbar spine, and the hip, requiring approximately 15 minutes of examination time. This method also involves low radiation exposure (less than a conventional chest X-ray).
The risks associated with DXA radiation exposure are considered very low (whole body, lumbar spine, and hip) in children aged 10 to 15 (0.0056 mSV).
Leeds Foods Preference QuestionnaireOther
Their relationship with food will be investigated 15 minutes before the test meal and then 1 hour after, using the Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire developed and validated by the team led by Professor Blundell, a partner in this study. The adolescents will be asked to answer a series of questions about their food preferences by selecting their favorite foods from a selection of images during a 10-minute computer exercise. Similarly, during this exercise, they are asked to use a visual analog scale to estimate how much they would like to eat certain foods presented. Based on their choices and the time taken to respond, the LFPQ assesses the adolescents' degree of "liking" and "wanting." The adolescents must complete this exercise 15 minutes before and after the evening test meal. To avoid any influence on food intake at the next meal, the foods presented during the test are not foods presented during the meal. The objective of this exercise is to assess the response of "liking" and
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Adolescents with obesity | Experimental | Adolescents aged 11 to 17 (inclusive), at Tanner stage 3-5 of sexual maturation, With obesity defined as a Quételet index above the 97th percentile according to national curves. Receives: Diagnostic Test: Anthropometric measurements; Diagnostic Test: Body composition assessment; Other: Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire |
| Adolescent with normal weight | Experimental | Adolescents aged 11 to 17 (inclusive) with normal weight Receives: Diagnostic Test: Anthropometric measurements; Diagnostic Test: Body composition assessment; Other: Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Postprandial energy expenditure (PEE)
Measured: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
Secondary outcomes (2)
HUNGER SENSATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Patients will have to answer 4 questions with answer situated in between "not at all" and "Very much". The questions are: Are you hungry? Do you feel satiated? How much could you eat again? Would you like to eat something?
Measured: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire
Their relationship with food will be investigated 15 min before the test meal and then 1 hour after, using the Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire. The adolescents will be asked to answer a series of questions about their food preferences by selecting their favorite foods from a selection of images during a 10-min computer exercise. During this exercise, they are asked to use a visual analog scale to estimate how much they would like to eat certain foods presented. Based on their choices and the time taken to respond, the LFPQ assesses the adolescents' degree of "liking" and "wanting." The adolescents will be asked to complete this exercise 15 minutes before and after the evening test meal. To avoid influencing food intake at the next meal, the foods presented during the test are not the same as those presented during the meal. As the aim of this exercise is to assess the response of "liking" and "wanting" to food intake, it is necessary to carry it out before and after the meal.
Measured: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Feb 2026
- Study start28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionJun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Obesity & OverweightStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Emile Roux
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Université d'Auvergne
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07400159
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RIPH2_GADEA_TEFAL
- Other IDs
- 2025-A01846-43
- Acronym
- TEFAL
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Postprandial Thermogenesis in Obese Adolescents: Effect of Weight Loss
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07400159
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TEFAL / RIPH2_GADEA_TEFAL
- Conditions
- Obesity & Overweight
- Keywords
- dietary thermogenesis in obese adolescents
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Emile RouxUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Université d'Auvergne
- Study start
- 28 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Jun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The prevention and management of pediatric obesity require a thorough understanding and consideration of the various components of energy balance (i.e., intake and expenditure) and their interactions. Total energy expenditure (TEE) consists of resting metabolism (RM), energy expenditure induced by physical activity (EEPA), and dietary thermogenesis (DTE). While RM and EEPA are the two main contributors to TEE, DTE is often overlooked, even though it can account for around 10% of our daily energy expenditure. In fact, few studies have prioritized the evaluation of the thermic effect of food (TEF), defined as the increase in energy expenditure above the basal metabolic rate when fasting, despite the fact that it accounts for about 10% of total daily energy expenditure. It has been suggested that TEF may play a role in the development or maintenance of obesity.
Some studies indicate a reduction in TEF in individuals living with obesity, possibly due to lower postprandial activation of the sympathetic nervous system, thereby limiting the thermogenic response after meals. Conversely, several studies have reported no decrease in TEF in individuals living with obesity. Due to these conflicting results, no consensus has been reached on the response of TEF in individuals with obesity compared to those of normal weight.
While our team recently conducted a systematic review of the literature in this area, identifying a glaring lack of evidence, the few results available suggest a potential reduction in TEF in children and adolescents with obesity, contributing to minimizing the optimization of their daily energy balance. In their study, Maffeis and colleagues show, for example, a significantly reduced TEF in adolescents with obesity compared to their normal-weight counterparts, despite a higher-calorie test meal adapted to their energy needs.
These results are consistent with those proposed by Salas-Salvado the following year, which suggest a reduced TEF in obese adolescents, associated with their percentage of body fat.This research suggests the need to consider the effects of weight status, body composition, and the caloric composition of a meal in order to better understand TEF in this population. Furthermore, while our team has repeatedly highlighted adaptations in resting metabolism and exercise metabolism in response to weight loss in obese adolescents, the TEF responses to these interventions have also been little studied in adolescents. To our knowledge, there is only one study that has qualitatively assessed this adaptation of TEF to weight loss in this population. According to the authors, while DHEA was reduced at baseline in obese adolescents compared to their normal-weight counterparts, weight loss appeared to increase DHEA levels, but this remains to be confirmed. In this context, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of weight loss on dietary thermogenesis in obese adolescents. It will also compare the thermogenesis of these adolescents before weight loss with that of adolescents of normal weight.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Adolescents with obesity | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: Anthropometric measurements, Diagnostic Test: Body composition assessment, Other: Leeds Foods Preference QuestionnaireAdolescents aged 11 to 17 (inclusive), at Tanner stage 3-5 of sexual maturation, With obesity defined as a Quételet index above the 97th percentile according to national curves. |
| Adolescent with normal weight | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: Anthropometric measurements, Diagnostic Test: Body composition assessment, Other: Leeds Foods Preference QuestionnaireAdolescents aged 11 to 17 (inclusive) with normal weight |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 11 to 17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (0 listed)
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- Refusal of consent by legal guardians,
- Regular consumption of tobacco or alcohol,
- Special diet,
- Participation in regular and intense physical and sporting activities,
- Medical or surgical history deemed by the investigator to be incompatible with the study,
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropometric measurementsFor both arms, participants' body weight will be measured to the nearest 0.1 kg using a calibrated manual scale. Height will be measured to the nearest 0.5 cm using a standard wall-mounted height gauge. Waist circumference (WC) will be measured halfway between the last rib and the upper edge of the iliac crest. The Quételet index will be expressed as a Z-score using the "calimco" software adapted to the French population, in order to compare changes in the Quételet index regardless of age and gender. | Diagnostic test | Adolescent with normal weight, Adolescents with obesity |
| Body composition assessmentFor both arms, body composition will be assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, QDR-4500A, Hologic, Inc., Waltham, MA). Scanning the body with an X-ray beam at two different energy levels allows for the measurement of body composition (mineral mass, active tissue mass, and fat mass) and bone geometry in both adults and children. Measurements will be taken of the whole body, the lumbar spine, and the hip, requiring approximately 15 minutes of examination time. This method also involves low radiation exposure (less than a conventional chest X-ray). The risks associated with DXA radiation exposure are considered very low (whole body, lumbar spine, and hip) in children aged 10 to 15 (0.0056 mSV). | Diagnostic test | Adolescent with normal weight, Adolescents with obesity |
| Leeds Foods Preference QuestionnaireTheir relationship with food will be investigated 15 minutes before the test meal and then 1 hour after, using the Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire developed and validated by the team led by Professor Blundell, a partner in this study. The adolescents will be asked to answer a series of questions about their food preferences by selecting their favorite foods from a selection of images during a 10-minute computer exercise. Similarly, during this exercise, they are asked to use a visual analog scale to estimate how much they would like to eat certain foods presented. Based on their choices and the time taken to respond, the LFPQ assesses the adolescents' degree of "liking" and "wanting." The adolescents must complete this exercise 15 minutes before and after the evening test meal. To avoid any influence on food intake at the next meal, the foods presented during the test are not foods presented during the meal. The objective of this exercise is to assess the response of "liking" and | Other | Adolescent with normal weight, Adolescents with obesity |
Primary outcome
Postprandial energy expenditure (PEE)
Time frame: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
2 secondary outcomes
HUNGER SENSATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Time frame: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire
Time frame: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Anthropometric measurements, Body composition assessment and Leeds Foods Preference Questionnaire in people with Obesity & Overweight, run by Centre Hospitalier Emile Roux at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 0 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact David THIVEL (04 73 40 76 79 ext. 0033, David.thivel@uca.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Postprandial energy expenditure (PEE) (time frame: 3 months for normal weight adolescents and 6 months for adolescents with obesity). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Feb 2026.