Kerri Boutelle
University of California-San Diego, CA·Psychology
Why do standard weight-loss programs fail for so many children and adults? These programs combine nutrition advice, exercise and behavior change, yet one third to two thirds of participants do not respond.
- Fields
Psychology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Public Health & Epidemiology
- Topics
childhood obesity
pediatric obesity
overweight
- Grants
- 3 known grants, through May 2028
What they work on
- Compare Regulation of Cues (ROC), Family-Based Treatment, ROC plus calorie restriction and health education in a randomized trial. Measure changes in weight and overeating over 18 months in 280 children high in food cue responsiveness, the pull to eat in response to food cues.
- Test whether ROC changes children's and parents' fullness sensitivity, response to food cues, inhibition (self-control) and calorie intake. Analyze whether these appetite traits explain differences in weight loss.
- Test whether an enhanced ROC program (ROC+) lowers body mass index more than standard behavioral weight loss or an active comparison group. Use a randomized trial of 300 adults with obesity who are high in food cue responsiveness.
- Compare a six-month telehealth parent-only treatment, PBT-ASD, with health education. Measure weight in 150 youth with autism spectrum disorder and overweight over 18 months.
- Assess PBT-ASD effects on parent BMI, family diet and physical activity, child mealtime behavior and parenting. Examine whether factors such as autism symptom severity and parent executive functioning (planning and self-control skills) shape outcomes.
More about the research
These projects test an idea called the Behavioral Susceptibility Theory. It holds that two appetite traits matter most. Food cue responsiveness is how strongly a person is drawn to eat by the sight, smell or thought of food, and it drives when eating starts. Satiety responsiveness is how well a person senses fullness, and it drives when eating stops. The team built a treatment called Regulation of Cues (ROC) that aims to weaken the pull of food cues and strengthen fullness signals. The work tests ROC in children and in adults, and it also adapts behavioral weight treatment for children with autism.
Why it matters
Many children and adults with obesity do not lose weight in standard behavioral programs, and those who do often regain it. A treatment aimed at appetite traits could give a more lasting option to people who are strongly drawn to food cues, and could help clinicians match patients to treatments. A telehealth program delivered to parents could give families of children with both autism and obesity a tailored treatment that is easy to share widely.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Addressing appetitive traits to promote weight management in children who overeat
NIH · Aug 2023 – May 2028
Telehealth Parent-Only Treatment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Overweight/Obesity
NIH · Aug 2022 – Jun 2027
Targeting food cue responsiveness for weight loss
NIH · Sep 2020 – Aug 2026
Closest labs
Tanja Kral
University of Pennsylvania, PA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Test whether a heightened drive to eat (food reward value, rapid eating and eating without hunger) predicts 1-year changes in weight and body fat in children ages 5 to 7 independently of a genetic risk score or in addition to it.
Matthew Haemer
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, CO·Public Health & Epidemiology
Compare BMI reduction between the family-inclusive Healthy Living Program and a recommended primary care counseling control in low-income Hispanic children with obesity across three age groups, 2-6, 7-12 and 13-16 years, in a randomized controlled trial.
Danielle Jake-Schoffman
University of Florida, FL·Public Health & Epidemiology
Refine the FamilyCollab smartwatch app, which supports parent-child goal setting, shared real-time exercise and reflection, through two rounds of usability studies with 12 parent-child pairs.
The school
University of California-San Diego: 84 labs on PI Pages, $1.9B a year on research, 637 research doctorates a year.
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