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Afari et al., 2019

APA Citation

Afari, N., Herbert, M. S., Godfrey, K. M., Cuneo, J. G., Salamat, J. S., Mostoufi, S., Gasperi, M., Ober, K., Backhaus, A., Rutledge, T., & Wetherell, J. L. (2019). Acceptance and commitment therapy as an adjunct to the MOVE! programme: a randomized controlled trial. Obesity Science and Practice, 5(5), 397-407. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.356

Publication Topic
ACT: Conceptual
Publication Type
Article
Language
English
Keyword(s)
Acceptance and commitment therapy, binge eating, obesity, veterans
Abstract

Objective

The current study tested the efficacy of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group intervention for disinhibited eating behaviour as an adjunct to the Veterans Affairs MOVE!© weight management programme.

Methods

Veterans (N = 88) with overweight or obesity who completed the MOVE! weight management programme and self‐identified as having problems with ‘stress‐related eating’ were randomized to four 2‐h weekly ACT sessions or a continued behavioural weight‐loss (BWL) intervention. Assessments were completed at baseline, post‐treatment and 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐up on outcomes of interest including measures of disinhibited eating patterns, obesity‐related quality of life, weight‐related experiential avoidance and weight.

Results

The BWL group exhibited significantly greater reductions in binge eating behaviour at post‐treatment compared with the ACT group. Significant improvements in other outcomes were found with minimal differences between groups. In both groups, decreases in weight‐related experiential avoidance were related to improvements in binge eating behaviour.

Conclusions

Taken together, the continued BWL intervention resulted in larger improvements in binge eating behaviour than the ACT intervention. The two groups showed similar improvements in other disinhibited eating outcomes. Future studies are encouraged to determine if more integrated or longer duration of ACT treatment may maximize eating outcomes in MOVE.