Unravelling the mystery of weight regain in youth: Katherine Morrison explores how kids burn calories after weight loss

Researcher: Katherine Morrison
CIHR Funding: $650,250 / 5 Years

The treatment of obesity is challenging, especially as many people experience weight regain after initial health improvements. This phenomenon is due in part to the body’s response to weight loss, leading to decreased calorie burning.

While this is well-studied in adults, less is known about how it affects adolescents.

Professor of pediatrics and co-director of McMaster University’s Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research (MODR), Katherine Morrison’s new CIHR-funded study aims to shed light on this issue by comparing two treatment approaches: one group of children will participate in a behaviour lifestyle program (BLP) alone, and the second group will experience a BLP combined with a medication called semaglutide.

Researchers will use a device called a whole-room calorimeter to precisely measure how much energy is burned by youth in the two groups. Twice, over six months, participants will sit quietly in this special room for a few hours while investigators analyze the gases in the air to understand how much energy they burn – a method known as indirect calorimetry.

Study participants will also be involved in a youth advisory group to gather insights for designing future studies.

When asked about the study’s impact on child health, Morrison said that understanding how weight management impacts youth is a critical step to shaping healthier futures.

“With this study, we aim to bridge a critical gap in knowledge and create more effective approaches to treating childhood obesity. By combining our innovative methods with the invaluable input from our young participants, we aspire to create lasting solutions that empower youth to lead healthier lives.” 

Read more: Metabolic adaptation to weight loss in response to a behavioural lifestyle program with or without semaglutide in adolescents with obesity: A randomized controlled trial