Health At Every Size and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy vs. Behavioral Weight Loss for Obesity and Depression in Women

Health At Every Size and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy vs. Behavioral Weight Loss for Obesity and Depression in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The primary aim of this project is to conduct a randomized controlled pilot study evaluating the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a newly developed combined Health At Every Size and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (HAES/ACT) treatment, known as Accept Yourself! compared to a commercial behavioral weight loss program, Weight Watchers (WW). Obese women (BMI ≥ 30) with Major Depressive Disorder will be randomly assigned to one of these two treatments. Depression, physical health, and other psychosocial outcomes will be assessed prior to treatment, at post-treatment, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-month follow up assessments.

Inclusion Criteria:

• English-speaking
• Major Depressive Disorder (assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, SCID-IV)
• Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30
• Not taking medications or on stable medication regimens (i.e. no medication changes for six weeks prior to enrollment or during the study)

Exclusion Criteria:

• current substance dependence
• history of psychotic symptoms
• high risk of suicide/self-harm
• current enrollment in a weight-loss program
• weight loss surgery in the past year
• current psychotherapy
• inability to postpone weight loss or depression treatment interventions for the duration of the study
• taking antipsychotic, tricyclic, or oral corticosteroid medication
• unwilling to be randomized to the study treatments