A pilot study of acceptance-based behavioural weight loss for adolescents with obesity
Open accessAbstract
Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a psychological treatment that has been found to increase weight loss in adults when combined with lifestyle modification, compared with the latter treatment alone. However, an ACT-based treatment for weight loss has never been tested in adolescents. Methods: The present pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a 16-week, group ACT-based lifestyle modification treatment for adolescents and their parents/guardians. The co-primary outcomes were: (1) mean acceptability scores from up to 8 biweekly ratings; and (2) the percentage reduction in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to week 16. The effect size for changes in cardiometabolic and psychosocial outcomes from baseline to week 16 also was examined. Results: Seven families enrolled and six completed treatment (14.3% attrition). The mean acceptability score was 8.8 for adolescents and 9.0 for parents (on a 1–10 scale), indicating high acceptability. The six adolescents who completed treatment experienced a 1.3% reduction in BMI (SD = 2.3, d = 0.54). They reported a medium increase in cognitive restraint, a small reduction in hunger, and a small increase in physical activity. They experienced small improvements in most quality of life domains and a large reduction in depression. Conclusions: These preliminary findings indicate that ACT plus lifestyle modification was a highly acceptable treatment that improved weight, cognitive restraint, hunger, physical activity, and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with obesity.
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The 2019 pilot study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting a reduction in BMI and an overall improvement in physical activity and psychological status of obese adolescents.
“This study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting a reduction in BMI and an overall improvement in physical activity and psychological status of obese adolescents.”
From The actyourchange in teens study protocol: An acceptance and commitment therapy-based intervention for adolescents with obesity: A randomized controlled trial (2021) · cites this paper as [32]
The Results report a 1.3% mean BMI reduction among six adolescents who completed treatment, a small increase in physical activity, and improvements in depression and some quality-of-life measures. The Discussion calls these findings preliminary and says that, without a randomized trial, the authors could not determine what would have happened without treatment. The observed improvements are supported, but the claim that the intervention was effective overstates what this pilot study could establish. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOnly one pilot study published in 2019 evaluating an ACT-based psychological intervention combined with a 16-week lifestyle behavioral modification program in obese adolescents was found.
“To the best of our knowledge, only one pilot study published in 2019 [32], evaluating the effectiveness of an ACT-based psychological intervention applied in combination with a 16-week lifestyle behavioral modification program in a sample of obese adolescents, was found.”
The 2019 pilot study intervention was positively evaluated by both the adolescents and their parents who participated.
“Furthermore, the intervention was positively evaluated by both the adolescents and their parents who participated in the study.”
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- Authors
- Tronieri, J. S., Wadden, T. A., Leonard, S. M., & Berkowitz, R. I.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tronieri, Jena Shaw
- Venue
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2019-04-17
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 686-696
- ISSN
- 1352-4658 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1833
- PMC
- PMC6785377
- OpenAlex
- W2940250830
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 4.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K23DK116935)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- acceptance and commitment therapy, adolescent obesity, weight loss, lifestyle modification, treatment acceptability, feasibility, body mass index, cognitive restraint, hunger, physical activity, quality of life, depression, parental involvement
- MeSH terms
- Healthy Lifestyle, Adolescent, Child, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Obesity, Parents, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Weight Loss, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Weight Reduction Programs, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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