Try a smartphone app designed to help you manage stress-related eating

What is this trial?

This study is testing a new smartphone app called BrainWeighve designed to help teenagers with obesity. The app works based on a theory that overeating happens when people feel stressed or overwhelmed and use food as a way to cope. Instead of just focusing on diet and exercise, this app helps you identify situations that trigger stress eating and teaches you practical strategies to handle those situations differently.

Many weight loss programs focus only on diet and exercise, but don't address the emotional reasons why teenagers overeat. This trial exists to test whether helping young people recognize and cope with stress in healthier ways — rather than turning to food — can be more effective for weight loss.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 14 and 21 years old
you have an iPhone or are willing to use a study iPhone
you speak and read English fluently
you are interested in losing weight or maintaining your weight (you've done something in the past year or are planning to start in the next month)
your BMI is at or above the 85th percentile for your age and gender

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a serious mental health condition or developmental delay that requires immediate treatment
your parent or guardian is unable or unwilling to give permission for you to participate
you have been diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a brain tumor, or another condition known to cause obesity
you are currently in another weight loss program at the same time
you have participated in this research team's previous app studies

What participation looks like

You would use the BrainWeighve app for 4 months. Each day, you'll identify stressful situations on your 'Dread List' and create 'Action Plans' to handle them without turning to food. The research team will check in with you about how often you're using the app and what's working or not working for you. At the start and end of the study, we'll measure your weight, BMI, eating habits, and stress levels to see if the app helps.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 16, 2026 · Not medical advice

Key details

Sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Collaborators

Children's Hospital Los Angeles, eHealth International, INC.

Enrollment target

~38 participants

Started

November 2023

Primary completion

December 2026

Age range

14 Years – 21 Years

Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in December 2025.

Contact the research team directly

Reach out to the team running this trial. Response times vary — some teams are faster than others.

Central contact

Ashley Huynh

University of California, Los Angeles

Interested in joining?

Tell us you're interested and we'll help connect you with the research team. We'll walk you through what to expect first — no email needed to get started.

Smartphone app to help teens manage stress-related overeating

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)