Integrating Small Changes and Positive Psychology to Improve Treatment Readiness: A Weight Loss Trial

Summary

The study is designed to compare short- and long-term changes in body weight (kg) and subjective well-being in adult females with obesity who have been randomized to receive one of two 6-month treatment conditions: INSPIRE or Small Changes. The Small Changes approach is an evidence-based behavioural weight management program that uses relative and modest changes in nutrition and physical activity to produce a caloric deficit. The INSPIRE program is a modification of the Small Changes program that spends the first four weeks on improving well-being via psychological interventions.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Small Changes

The Small Changes program is an evidence-based 6-month weight-management program. The program runs weekly for 3 months followed by by-weekly contact for 3-months (1x in-person group and 1x phone call). This program uses behaviour change strategies to help with weight loss. The Small Changes approach is different from traditional dieting programs because it encourages modest changes to diet and physical activity which are not overly taxing to maintain. Participants are asked to reduce their nutritional intake by 200-400 calories per day. You will also be asked to increase their daily step count by 2000-3000 steps. Weekly intervention topics include: Monitoring, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Breaking the Chain, External Cues, Mindful Eating, Body Image, Stress, Sleep, Social Support, Social Eating, and the Stoplight Guide.

BEHAVIORAL

INSPIRE

The INSPIRE program is a modification to the Small Changes program. It combines elements of positive psychology and behaviour change to help with weight loss. The first four weeks of the program are oriented towards improving well-being and include topics such as values, self-compassion/mindfulness, character strengths, and gratitude. The remaining 8 weeks mirrors the Small Changes program in making modest changes to diet and physical activity to achieve weight loss. Participants are asked to reduce their nutritional intake by 200-400 calories per day. Participants will also be asked to increase their daily step count by 2000-3000 steps.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lesley Lutes, PhD · University of British Columbia- Okanagan

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-11-22

Primary Completion

2021-02-28

Completion

2021-02-28

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations