MedPath

How Altered Gut-Brain-Axis Influences Food Choices: Part 2 (BrainFood)

Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Obesity
Food Preferences
Interventions
Other: Questionnaire (Survey and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ))
Other: Collection of digital receipts from grocery shopping
Registration Number
NCT04788836
Lead Sponsor
Lia Bally
Brief Summary

Obesity is currently one of the most substantial health burdens. Due to the production of marked and sustained weight loss, bariatric surgery is an increasingly used therapeutic modality to combat obesity and its comorbidities. Surgical rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract remarkably alters metabolism and hormones acting on neurological and hypothalamic signalling, involved in food decision-making and eating behaviour. In this context, many patients who underwent bariatric surgery self-report changes in appetite, satiety and food preferences. Furthermore, new gut hormone-based (e.g. GLP-1 receptor agonist or GLP-1-RA) pharmacotherapies which mimic the effect of bariatric surgery show impressive efficacy on weight reduction by modulation of food behaviour. However, the mechanisms of such functional changes, and how they relate to food decision-making and food purchase behaviour remain unknown.

In Part 2 of the BrainFood-project, the investigators propose a novel approach using digital receipts from loyalty card to unravel the effect of obesity treatments (surgical and non-surgical) on eating and food purchase behaviour in daily life.

Detailed Description

The overall aim of this project is to elucidate the changes in food behaviour among obese adults undergoing obesity treatments.

The main objective is to observe the effect of obesity treatments on food purchase behaviour using digital receipts from grocery shopping. The investigators hypothesize that bariatric surgery leads to changes in food purchase behaviour in obese adults.

The further objective is to compare food purchase behaviour between obese adults against values of an existing reference population, and to assess whether these differences tend to be reduced after the start of the treatment among obese participants.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
61
Inclusion Criteria
  • Female and male subjects aged 18 years or older
  • Proficient in German (including written)
  • BMI≥30kg/m2 or BMI≥28kg/m2 with adiposity-related comorbidities (prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia)
  • Referred for obesity treatment or who started obesity treatment within 6 months (surgical or non-surgical)
  • Primary grocery shopping at the Swiss biggest grocery retailers (Coop, Migros), and regularly using a loyalty card (Cumulus and/or Supercard)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Incapacity to give informed consent
  • Primary shopping in other food retailers (e.g. Aldi, Lidl, outside of Switzerland, etc.)

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Obesity treatment GroupQuestionnaire (Survey and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ))60 (minimum) to 150 (maximum) overweight/obese adults referred for or who started obesity (surgical or non-surgical) treatment within 6 months
Obesity treatment GroupCollection of digital receipts from grocery shopping60 (minimum) to 150 (maximum) overweight/obese adults referred for or who started obesity (surgical or non-surgical) treatment within 6 months
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in food purchase behaviour on the basis of food groupsPre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Changes in food purchase behaviour pre-treatment will be compared to post-treatment on the basis of food groups like vegetables, wholegrain, fruits, sweets and meats.

Changes in food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Healthy Trolley Index (HETI)Pre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Changes in food purchase behaviour pre-treatment will be compared to post-treatment on the basis of the HETI, an objective and validated, nutrient-based, healthy shopping scoring system.

Changes in food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Grocery Purchase Quality Index (GPQI)Pre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Changes in food purchase behaviour pre-treatment will be compared to post-treatment on the basis of the GPQI, an objective and validated, nutrient-based, healthy shopping scoring system.

Food purchase behaviour on the basis of food groupsPre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Food groups will be compared between obesity treatment group and control group

Food purchase behaviour on the basis of nutrition factsPre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Nutrition facts will be compared between obesity treatment group and control group

Changes in food purchase behaviour on the basis of nutrition factsPre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Changes in food purchase behaviour pre-treatment will be compared to post-treatment on the basis of nutrition facts like energy (kcal), carbohydrates, sugars, added sugars, protein, fat, saturated fat, dietary fibre and salt.

Food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Healthy Trolley Index (HETI)Pre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

HETI will be compared between obesity treatment group and control group

Changes in food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Nutri-ScorePre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Changes in food purchase behaviour pre-treatment will be compared to post-treatment on the basis of the Nutri-Score, representing the nutritional quality of products. The Nutri-Score is based on a discrete continuous scale from -15 (most healthy) to 40 (least healthy). The score is then transcribed into five colour categories (A-E, ranging from bright green (most healthy) to red (least healthy)).

Food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Grocery Purchase Quality Index (GPQI)Pre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

GPQI will be compared between obesity treatment group and control group

Food purchase behaviour on the basis of the Nutri-ScorePre-treatment until 5 years after start of obesity treatment

Nutri-Score will be compared between obesity treatment group and control group

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital

🇨🇭

Bern, Switzerland

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath