# Phenotyping obesity using behavioral, psychological, physiological, familial, and genetic data

> **NIH NIH R01** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $759,424

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Obesity remains highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults in the United States and
relatively few youth with overweight or obesity are able to lose weight and maintain the loss, thus
making prevention of paramount importance. Although a range of genetic loci and behavioral and
environmental factors predictive of weight change and obesity have been identified in prospective
studies, their associations with weight gain and obesity have been modest in magnitude. Moreover,
the numerous clinical trials aimed at prevention of obesity in children and adolescents have yielded
modest effects. One possible reason for the lack of observing large effects in observational studies or
clinical trials is that all types of overweight and obesity are often grouped together. One potential
consequence of overlooking the heterogeneity in obesity is missing or underestimating risk factors for
specific subtypes of obesity. An alternative strategy is to identify subtypes and examine subtype-
specific associations. More careful phenotyping of obesity could potentially be used to advance the
field of obesity epidemiology and treatment. Research is needed to identify the range of obesity
phenotypes and whether there are differences in obesity subtypes by biological sex and race. We
propose using appetitive behaviors, psychological, behavioral, anthropometric, physiological, genetic,
and familial data, in a person-centered approach to empirically identify subtypes of obesity and to
investigate whether the subtypes vary by biological sex or race. We will use data collected from the
2379 girls in National Growth and Health Study, 1421 children (48% with obesity and 17% with
overweight) studied in the Section on Growth and Obesity at the Eunice Shriver Kennedy National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the 16,850 youth in the Growing Up
Today Study (14.9% with obesity and 29% with overweight). We will use latent class analysis to
identify subgroups of obesity and then examine whether the empirically-derived phenotypes are
predictive of weight change in adolescence and young adulthood, the development of hypertension
before age 35, or have a differential pattern of association with the obesity loci. In addition, we will
examine whether the phenotypes vary by biological sex or race and whether the associations of
phenotypes with weight change in adolescence and young adulthood and the development of
hypertension before age 35, vary by biological sex or race. The results of our proposed study could
have a major impact on the field. The first step towards decreasing disparities by race and sex is to
examine if there are differences in presentation and course of a disorder. Our study will provide that
much needed information, which could result in tailored and more effective prevention and treatments.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10137471
- **Project number:** 1R01DK127585-01
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alison E Field
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $759,424
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10137471

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10137471, Phenotyping obesity using behavioral, psychological, physiological, familial, and genetic data (1R01DK127585-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10137471. Licensed CC0.

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