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ObesityMETSNCT02925156

Modeling the Epidemiologic Transition Study

An observational study of Obesity and Diabetes, run by Loyola University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This project examines whether individuals' amount of activity energy expenditure (AEE) is related to adiposity and adiposity/diabetes-related hormones in a diverse sample of 2500, and to test the ecological hypothesis that a decline in levels of AEE is an important cause of the increases in obesity that are currently… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Obesity, Diabetes
How many people
2,506 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
16 Jul 2008to 20 May 2024
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 18 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: The study is comprises a complex samples population based approach drawn from communities in 5 countries: Ghana, Seychelles, South Africa, Jamaica and the US. Approximately 500 participants are enrolled per site for an unweighted total of 2500 participants.

Who may be able to join

  • Identify as African American or Black
  • Age 18-50

Who cannot join

  • Pregnancy, nursing, or planning to become pregnant
  • Movement disorders or other disability that limits mobility

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Loyola University Medical Center

    Maywood, Illinois, 60153

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Modeling the Epidemiologic Transition: Energy Expenditure, Obesity and Diabetes

This project examines whether individuals' amount of activity energy expenditure (AEE) is related to adiposity and adiposity/diabetes-related hormones in a diverse sample of 2500, and to test the ecological hypothesis that a decline in levels of AEE is an important cause of the increases in obesity that are currently taking place in many societies.

One goal is to use doubly labeled water and/or accelerometers to objectively measure activity energy expenditure in community samples from five adult populations across the spectrum of obesity risk. From each site, (i.e., Ghana, South Africa, Seychelles, Jamaica, and the US), 500 black adults will be recruited. Among all participants, AEE will be measured using accelerometers and in a subset of 75 per site, AEE will also be measured by doubly labeled water.

Read more

The doubly labeled water sample will be used to confirm site-specific concordance with the accelerometer measurements and to estimate population mean levels of AEE. Additionally, body composition, dietary intake, fasting glucose, insulin, adiponectin, leptin and ghrelin will be measured. The relationships between calories expended in activity and body composition, dietary intake, glucose, hormones and adipocytokines, both within and between each population using doubly labeled water and accelerometers will be examined. In this longitudinal study, weight will be measured at 12 and 24-months, and AEE by accelerometer will be assessed at enrollment and again at 2-years of follow-up; associations between change in AEE and change in weight will be estimated.

The central purpose of this project is to test whether AEE or change in AEE can be identified as a contributory mechanism to population-wide weight gain and, if so, to quantify its importance. In addition, we seek to understand the interrelationships between the adipocytokines and the hormones ghrelin and insulin as well as AEE in the regulation of body weight across the continuum of body mass indices (BMI) represented by these five populations.

Read the detailed description

Populations all over the world are experiencing rapid increases in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. To date, the public health response to the emerging obesity epidemic has been almost totally ineffective. As a first line of response, professional bodies and government organizations have issued prevention guidelines, all of which include recommendations on levels of activity energy expenditure (AEE). However, even if fully implemented, it is not clear that the current recommendations on AEE would impact the trend in age-related weight gain. In fact, there is virtually no direct evidence that can be brought to bear on the question of whether the obesity epidemic has resulted primarily or even partially from society-wide declines in habitual physical activity (PA).

To date, epidemiologic research on AEE has relied on very crude measurement tools-primarily questionnaires. These self-reported data capture only a small fraction of the total variance in activity and are potentially confounded when they focus on leisure-time PA. By contrast, direct measurement with doubly labeled water (DLW) provides a precise, unbiased estimate of all forms of non-resting energy expenditure. DLW has also been used to validate the new generation of accelerometers which are efficient measurement tools for larger studies.

In this study, objective measurement tools will be used to examine the "ecology of AEE". This study will take place in 5 countries spanning the range of the activity-obesity spectrum and will combine both within-population person-level and between-population ecological analyses. First, the study will examine whether an individual's amount or pattern of AEE is related to adiposity in a diverse sample of 2,500. Second, the study will evaluate whether a decline in levels of AEE is an important cause of the rapid increases in obesity that currently take place in many societies. As an exploratory aim we will examine the role of selected adipocytokines and the appetite hormone ghrelin.

Conditions
Obesity, Diabetes
Keywords
Activity Energy Expenditure, Doubly Labeled Water, Physical Activity, Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Adiponectin, Leptin, Ghrelin
Medical subject headings
Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Motor Activity, Cardiovascular Diseases

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT02925156
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Ghanaian MenMen in the Ghana cohort are located at or near the the village of Nkwantakese which is approximately 20 kilometers outside of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
South African MenMen in the South Africa cohort are located at or near Khayelitsha, the 3rd largest township in South Africa, which is an adjacent town to the city of Cape Town. The population of Khayelitsha is about 500,000 people.
Seychelles MenMen in the Seychelles cohort are located at or near The Republic of Seychelles, which is an archipelago with 81,000 inhabitants located approximately 1,500 km east of Kenya in the Indian Ocean and approximately 2,000 km north of the island of Mauritius.
Jamaican MenMen in the Jamaica cohort are located at or near Spanish Town, Jamaica which is an urban area 25 km from the center of Kingston. The population of Spanish Town in 1991 was estimated at 92,000 people.
United States MenMen in the United States cohort are located at or near Maywood, IL, which is an African-American working class community adjacent to the western border of Chicago, IL. The population of Maywood in 2010 was estimated at 24,090 people.
Ghanaian WomenWomen in the Ghana cohort are located at or near the the village of Nkwantakese which is approximately 20 kilometers outside of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.
South African WomenWomen in the South Africa cohort are located at or near Khayelitsha, the 3rd largest township in South Africa, which is an adjacent town to the city of Cape Town. The population of Khayelitsha is about 500,000 people.
Seychelles WomenWomen in the Seychelles cohort are located at or near The Republic of Seychelles, which is an archipelago with 81,000 inhabitants located approximately 1,500 km east of Kenya in the Indian Ocean and approximately 2,000 km north of the island of Mauritius.
Jamaican WomenWomen in the Jamaica cohort are located at or near Spanish Town, Jamaica which is an urban area 25 km from the center of Kingston. The population of Spanish Town in 1991 was estimated at 92,000 people.
United States WomenWomen in the United States cohort are located at or near Maywood, IL, which is an African-American working class community adjacent to the western border of Chicago, IL. The population of Maywood in 2010 was estimated at 24,090 people.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Body Weight

    The change in body weight (measured in kilograms) will be measured for participants 24 months after baseline.

    Measured: 24 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 Oct 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start16 Jul 2008
  3. Primary completion20 May 2024
  4. Study completion20 May 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
2,506 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02925156
Sponsor's protocol ID
200038
Other IDs
R01DK080763
Acronym
METS
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
3 Oct 2016
Last updated
17 Sep 2025
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Zimmet P. The burden of type 2 diabetes: are we doing enough? Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4 Pt 2):6S9-18. doi: 10.1016/s1262-3636(03)72783-9.

    PubMed 14502096
  • Scaglione R, Argano C, Di Chiara T, Licata G. Obesity and cardiovascular risk: the new public health problem of worldwide proportions. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2004 Mar;2(2):203-12. doi: 10.1586/14779072.2.2.203.

    PubMed 15151469
  • Popkin BM, Gordon-Larsen P. The nutrition transition: worldwide obesity dynamics and their determinants. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Nov;28 Suppl 3:S2-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802804.

    PubMed 15543214
  • Kohn M, Booth M. The worldwide epidemic of obesity in adolescents. Adolesc Med. 2003 Feb;14(1):1-9.

    PubMed 12529186
  • James PT. Obesity: the worldwide epidemic. Clin Dermatol. 2004 Jul-Aug;22(4):276-80. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2004.01.010.

    PubMed 15475226
  • Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, Haskell WL, Macera CA, Bouchard C, Buchner D, Ettinger W, Heath GW, King AC, et al. Physical activity and public health. A recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA. 1995 Feb 1;273(5):402-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.273.5.402.

    PubMed 7823386
  • Fletcher GF, Balady G, Blair SN, Blumenthal J, Caspersen C, Chaitman B, Epstein S, Sivarajan Froelicher ES, Froelicher VF, Pina IL, Pollock ML. Statement on exercise: benefits and recommendations for physical activity programs for all Americans. A statement for health professionals by the Committee on Exercise and Cardiac Rehabilitation of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association. Circulation. 1996 Aug 15;94(4):857-62. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.94.4.857. No abstract available.

    PubMed 8772712
  • Physical activity and cardiovascular health. NIH Consensus Development Panel on Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health. JAMA. 1996 Jul 17;276(3):241-6.

    PubMed 8667571
  • Morrow JR Jr, Jackson AW, Bazzarre TL, Milne D, Blair SN. A one-year follow-up to physical activity and health. A report of the Surgeon General. Am J Prev Med. 1999 Jul;17(1):24-30. doi: 10.1016/s0749-3797(99)00030-6.

    PubMed 10429749
  • Trumbo P, Schlicker S, Yates AA, Poos M; Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, The National Academies. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino acids. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002 Nov;102(11):1621-30. doi: 10.1016/s0002-8223(02)90346-9. No abstract available.

    PubMed 12449285
  • Luke A, Bovet P, Plange-Rhule J, Forrester TE, Lambert EV, Schoeller DA, Dugas LR, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Shoham DA, Cao G, Brage S, Ekelund U, Cooper RS. A mixed ecologic-cohort comparison of physical activity & weight among young adults from five populations of African origin. BMC Public Health. 2014 Apr 24;14:397. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-397.

    PubMed 24758286
  • Dugas LR, Kliethermes S, Plange-Rhule J, Tong L, Bovet P, Forrester TE, Lambert EV, Schoeller DA, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Shoham DA, Cao G, Brage S, Ekelund U, Cooper RS, Luke A. Accelerometer-measured physical activity is not associated with two-year weight change in African-origin adults from five diverse populations. PeerJ. 2017 Jan 19;5:e2902. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2902. eCollection 2017.

    PubMed 28133575

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Obesity and Diabetes, run by Loyola University at 1 site in United States.

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 2 inclusion and 2 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Sep 2025. 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 United States. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 17 Sep 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Body Weight (time frame: 24 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02925156, which also lists 12 linked publications.

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 17 Sep 2025.

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