Open vs. Blind Weighing for Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults

This study is looking at two different approaches to help adolescents and young adults (ages 12-24) with eating disorders who experience anxiety about gaining weight. It compares "open weighing," where you discuss your weight and track it on a graph with a study coordinator, to "blind weighing," where you are encouraged to stop focusing on your weight. The goal is to see which method is more effective at reducing eating disorder symptoms and anxiety about weight gain. You might be able to join if you are an English speaker, are 12-24 years old, and have been admitted to the Penn State Hershey Partial Hospital Program for eating disorders with anxiety about weight gain. The study aims to enroll 70 participants.

Study design
This interventional study compares two behavioral interventions, open weighing and blind weighing, in approximately 70 participants. The study is designed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of these approaches.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The primary endpoints, including the Eating Disorder Examination - Self-Report Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Fear of Food Measure (FOFM), and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), are measured at admission (baseline).

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06085092

Open vs. Blind Weighing Study In Adolescents and Young Adult With Eating Disorders

Recruiting
NAAges 12–24InterventionalTreatment
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
~70 participants
Updated 2025-09-23 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Open weighingBlind weighing

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Eating Disorder Examination - Self-Report Questionnaire (EDE-Q)
Measured over Admission-Baseline
+15 more outcomes measured
Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
1 sites across 1 states
Pennsylvania1
  • Jamal Essayli, Ph.D · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Penn State University

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Participants must be English speakers.
Participants must be between the ages of 12 - 24 years who have been admitted to either the adolescent or young adult Partial Hospital Program (PHP) for eating disorders (EDs) at Penn State Hershey.
Participants must also present with an eating disorder (ED) diagnosis that is characterized by anxiety about weight gain, such as anorexia nervosa (AN), Bulimia nervosa (BN), or their subthreshold presentations captured under the other specific feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) category.
individuals with a diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, as these individuals do not experience anxiety about weight gain will be excluded.

Exclusion

Participants will be excluded if they are above the age of 24 or below the age of 12 years.
Participants who have been identified as non-English speakers.
Participants with cognitive impairment will also be excluded from participation.
  • Eating Disorder Examination - Self-Report Questionnaire (EDE-Q)Admission-Baseline

    The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a 28-item self-report questionnaire. It was designed to assess the range, frequency, and severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. A total score is obtained by summing the four subscales scores and dividing the total by the number of subscales. The score of items are calculated and range from 0 to 36. The higher score indicate greater ED symptoms.

  • Fear of Food Measure (FOFM)Admission Baseline

    The Fear of Food Measure (FORM) is a 23-item self-report questionnaire. It examines the participant's severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Each item is scored on a 1-7 scale. The questionnaire range from 23 to 161 meaning 23: no fear of food and 161 meaning severe fear of food.

  • Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ)Admission- Baseline

    The BSQ is a self-reported measurement of the body shape concerns typical of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. The questionnaire has 34 items scored from 0 to 6 points (least and most impaired, respectively), with the sum of the questions giving a range from 0 to 204.

  • Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA)Admission- Baseline

    The Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA) is a 16-item self-report measure of the severity of psychosocial impairment due to eating disorder features and focuses on the past 28 days. The 16 items cover impairment in domains of life that are typically affected by eating disorder psychopathology: mood and self-perception, cognitive functioning, interpersonal functioning, and work performance. The response are scored 0,1,2 and 3 with a higher rating indicating a higher level of impairment. The total range is between 0 and 48.

  • Eating Disorder Fear Questionnaire (EDFQ)Admission_Baseline

    The Eating Disorder Fear Questionnaire (EDFQ) is a 20-item self-report questionnaire. It examines the participant's severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. The response range between 1 to 7 with a total range of 20 to 140. The higher rating indicating a higher severe impairment.

  • Eating Disorder-15 (ED 15)Admission_Baseline

    The Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15) is a 15-item measure designed to assess eating psychopathology levels over the preceding week. The 10 items scored from 0 to 6 points (least and most impaired, respectively), with the sum of the questions giving a range from 0 to 6. The additional 5 items focused on the number of days individuals participated in a given behavior, such as the use of laxatives and restrictive eating.

  • Body Image States Scale (BISS)Admission_Baseline

    The Body Image State Scale (BISS) is a 6-item measure designed to assess body dissatisfaction. The questionnaire is rated on a seven-point scale ranging from "very satisfied" to very dissatisfied".

  • Approach / Avoidance of weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ)Admission_Baseline

    The Approach / Avoidance of Weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ) is a 9-item measure designed to assess approach and avoidance weighing tendency. The three descriptive items are not included in the approach/avoidance weighing tendencies calculation. Items 1-3 correspond to approach weighing tendency, and items 4-6 correspond to avoidance weighing tendency. Items are scored as follows for both subscales: Totally true of me = 5; Somewhat true of me = 4; Neither true nor untrue of me = 3; Somewhat untrue of me = 2; Totally untrue of me = 1. Items 1-3 are summed to provide the approach weighing tendency subscale and items 4-6 are summed to provide the avoidance weighing tendency subscale, with scores ranging from 3-15. Higher scores on each subscale indicate a higher degree of that subscale's weighing tendency.

  • Eating Disorder Examination - Self-Report Questionnaire (EDE-Q)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a 28-item self-report questionnaire. It was designed to assess the range, frequency, and severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. A total score is obtained by summing the four subscales scores and dividing the total by the number of subscales. The score of items are calculated and range from 0 to 36. The higher score indicate greater ED symptoms.

  • Fear of Food Measure (FOFM)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Fear of Food Measure (FORM) is a 23-item self-report questionnaire. It examines the participant's severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Each item is scored on a 1-7 scale. The questionnaire range from 23 to 161 meaning 23: no fear of food and 161 meaning severe fear of food.

  • Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The BSQ is a self-reported measurement of the body shape concerns typical of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. The questionnaire has 34 items scored from 0 to 6 points (least and most impaired, respectively), with the sum of the questions giving a range from 0 to 204.

  • Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA) is a 16-item self-report measure of the severity of psychosocial impairment due to eating disorder features and focuses on the past 28 days. The 16 items cover impairment in domains of life that are typically affected by eating disorder psychopathology: mood and self-perception, cognitive functioning, interpersonal functioning, and work performance. The response are scored 0,1,2 and 3 with a higher rating indicating a higher level of impairment. The total range is between 0 and 48.

  • Eating Disorder Fear Questionnaire (EDFQ)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Eating Disorder Fear Questionnaire (EDFQ) is a 20-item self-report questionnaire. It examines the participant's severity of behaviors associated with a diagnosis of an eating disorder. The response range between 1 to 7 with a total range of 20 to 140. The higher rating indicating a higher severe impairment.

  • Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15) is a 15-item measure designed to assess eating psychopathology levels over the preceding week. The 10 items scored from 0 to 6 points (least and most impaired, respectively), with the sum of the questions giving a range from 0 to 6. The additional 5 items focused on the number of days individuals participated in a given behavior, such as the use of laxatives and restrictive eating.

  • Body Image State Scale (BISS)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Body Image State Scale (BISS) is a 6-item measure designed to assess body dissatisfaction. The questionnaire is rated on a seven-point scale ranging from "very satisfied" to very dissatisfied".

  • Approach / Avoidance of Weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ)Discharge: No longer than 60 weeks

    The Approach / Avoidance of Weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ) is a 9-item measure designed to assess approach and avoidance weighing tendency. The three descriptive items are not included in the calculation of approach/avoidance weighing tendencies. The items 1-3 correspond to approach weighing tendency, and items 4-6 correspond to avoidance weighing tendency. Items are scored as follows for both subscales: Totally true of me = 5; Somewhat true of me = 4; Neither true nor untrue of me = 3; Somewhat untrue of me = 2; Totally untrue of me = 1. Items 1-3 are summed to provide the approach weighing tendency subscale and items 4-6 are summed to provide the avoidance weighing tendency subscale, with scores ranging from 3-15. Higher scores on each subscale indicate a higher degree of that subscale's weighing tendency.