Research on Nutritious Food Effects on Brain Inflammation and Eating Habits in Children with Overweight or Obesity

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how nutritious foods affect inflammation in the hypothalamus of children who are overweight or have obesity. The study aims to use magnetic resonance imaging MRI to evaluate this effect and to assess how feasible and acceptable feeding intervention strategies are for these children. The research focuses on children aged 9 to 11 years and explores diets role in cardiometabolic disease prevention. The study includes three parts In one, adult caregivers join focus groups to discuss feeding study participation while children complete a taste test of proposed menus. In the second, children receive all meals with nutritious foods for a 7-day period, followed by 7 days of their usual diet. The third part involves another focus group with caregivers to learn about family experiences with feeding research. No other medical treatments are involved. Participants will attend focus groups and taste tests, and children will have MRI scans to measure brain inflammation using T2 relaxation time after the diet intervention. Researchers will monitor meal consumption and diet adherence during the 7-day provided meal period. The total participation duration varies by study part, with assessments designed to evaluate the interventions impact and family perspectives on study participation.

Building Research for Intervention Development in Gliosis and Eating Habits