Mind/Body Stress Management to Improve Outcomes in Workplace Weight Loss Programs

Mind/Body Stress Management to Improve Outcomes in Workplace Weight Loss Programs

The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of a phone-based weight loss program that has stress management techniques integrated throughout (Weight Talk-Mindfulness). The program is targeted at employees of certain companies who meet a cut-off score on a measure of stress-related eating. The control group will receive a standard phone-based program with no additional stress management information (Weight Talk-Standard).

• Hypothesis 1: Participants in Weight Talk-Mindfulness (WT-M; n=50) will experience decreases in their stress-related & emotion-related eating compared to the Weight Talk-Standard (WT-S; n=25) group.
• Hypothesis 2: The WT-M group will lose more weight compared to the WT-S control group.
• Hypothesis 3: Participants in WT-M will experience decreased perceived stress, increased eating self-efficacy, increased acceptance of weight-related thoughts & feelings and increased mindfulness compared to those in the WT-S control arm.
• Hypothesis 4: Participants in WT-M will be equally as satisfied with their weight loss program as those in WT-S.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be enrolled in the Weight Talk program, inclusion criteria:

  • Employment by one of the employers who contract for Weight Talk services
  • Being over 18 years of age
  • Speak and read English

• Have a starting BMI between 25 and 35.

• Score 5 or higher on the 8-item Internal Disinhibition subscale of the Eating Inventory.

• Have regular access to email and internet.

• Willingness and ability to complete study and intervention procedures, including completing assessments, engaging in moderate physical activity (e.g., walking, swimming) and using the electronic scale at least once per week.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Type 2 Diabetes (Type 1 is an exclusion for the Weight Talk program).

• Past diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

• Weight Talk program exclusion criteria include:

  • Pregnancy
  • Bariatric surgery within past 12 months or planned in the next 6 months
  • Undergoing dialysis
  • Have Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis

• Women who are pregnant are not eligible for the program, but contraception is not required as this is a low risk study

• Currently using or planning to start using a pharmaceutical weight loss drug