What’s the secret to weight-loss success when you’re a teenager?

Researchers at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Miriam Hospital, in Providence, are asking teens to help them learn the answer.

They have established the new Adolescent Weight Control Registry, which is the pediatric partner to the National Weight Control Registry, based at Miriam. The adult registry has for many years tracked more than 5,000 adults who lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off. The registry has helped identify what works to bring about long-term weight loss and the characteristics of the people who succeed.

But teenagers are different from adults in many ways, and as childhood obesity grows, the researchers are hoping to offer teens guidance drawn from the experiences of their peers. What motivates adolescents to lose weight and what sustains them in their efforts?

“There’s a different layer of complexity with teens, in terms of what role, if any, do family members play and what role do peers play,” says Elissa Jelalian, a child psychologist who is co-director of the study with Rena Wing, director of the adult weight loss registry. Some teens want their parents heavily involved; others want them to stay out of it.

Another important question is what triggers a successful weight-loss effort. Is it a friend’s comment? Not fitting into a favorite outfit? Advice from a pediatrician? “I don’t know what actually is the thing that gets kids to decide ‘OK, I think I’m going to do this,’ ” Jelalian says.

The new registry has signed up about a half-dozen youngsters, and is now looking in Rhode Island and around the country in the hope of signing on at least 100. The Weight Control and Diabetes Center at Miriam Hospital is financing the research, although the project may eventually seek outside grants. Jelalian hopes to keep studying how participants fare over time, including how they manage their weight during major transitions, such as leaving home or going to college.

The Adolescent Weight Control Registry is seeking anyone age 14 to 20 who has lost more than 10 pounds and maintained that weight loss for at least one year. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and undergo an interview in person or by phone. To learn more about it, call (401) 793-8931 or go to www.weightresearch.org/AWCR.html.

ffreyer@projo.com