N/A N=271 Randomized Single-blind Basic Science

Weight Discrimination and Poor Cardiovascular Health

Obesity

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05714696 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

271

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

May 2025

Primary outcome: Primary: Negative Affect — 1.43; 1.29 score on a scale — p=.007

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: N/A
Interventions: Weight discrimination experience (Behavioral); Control experience (Behavioral)
Age: Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: Florida State University
Primary completion: Apr 2024

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Negative Affect	1.43; 1.29	.007 sig
PRIMARY Positive Affect	2.83; 3.04	.049 sig
PRIMARY Self-efficacy for Weight Control Behavior	4.29; 3.91	.029 sig
PRIMARY Intentions for Weight Control Behavior	4.91; 4.70	.163
PRIMARY Executive control_accuracy	96; 96	.442
PRIMARY Executive control_speed	1191; 1362	—
PRIMARY Delay Discounting	0.86; 1.20	.527
PRIMARY Change in Cortisol From Baseline to First Follow-up Assessment	.0000; .0076	.311
PRIMARY Comfort Eating	299.42; 365.73	.004 sig
PRIMARY Social Withdrawal	72; 55; 28; 52; 36; 27	.005 sig
PRIMARY Change in Cortisol From Baseline to Second Follow-up Assessment	.0000; .0000	—

Summary

People with obesity regularly experience discrimination on the basis of their body weight and such experiences are associated with increased risk for poor cardiovascular health. The goal of this clinical trial is to identify cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological factors that explain the relationship between weight discrimination and poor health outcomes. A diverse sample of adults with obesity will be randomly assigned to a social interaction encounter that simulates a typical weight discrimination experience (experimental manipulation) vs. a control manipulation that does not involve discrimination. The investigators will examine the immediate effects of the experimental manipulation on cognitive (e.g., self-regulation), affective (e.g., negative emotion), behavioral (e.g., comfort eating), and physiological (e.g., cortisol secretion) outcomes. Two additional aims of the study are to identify psychological traits that moderate responses to weight discrimination and to assess whether the negative health effects of weight discrimination differ by age, sex/gender, race, or ethnicity.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

(1) body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 (units: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared; BMI criteria for obesity)
(2) 18 years of age or older
(3) able to read and understand English
(4) have Internet access (to complete the baseline survey)
(5) able to come to FSU's campus to take part in a lab-based study

Exclusion Criteria

(1) having participated in any of our pilot studies on weight stigma
(2) diagnosed with a current major psychiatric disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder, eating disorder)
(3) pregnant or nursing
(4) diagnosed with Cushing syndrome or taking steroid-based medications
(5) having allergies to ingredients in the foods being offered during the taste test (e.g., gluten, peanuts).

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05714696). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.