title: Weight Teasing and Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adolescents: Longitudinal Findings From Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) Relation between dieting and weight change among preadolescents and adolescents. Evaluation of a modified cognitive–behavioural programme for weight management Weight bias among dietetics students: implications for treatment practices. Effects of mindful eating training on delay and probability discounting for food and money in obese and healthy-weight individuals. Effectiveness of the "My Body Knows When" intuitive-eating pilot program. Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern Short-term effects of a "health-at-every-size" approach on eating behaviors and appetite ratings. Management of obesity: attitudes and practices of Australian dietitians Evaluation of Two Nondieting Interventions for Obese Women Size acceptance and intuitive eating improve health for obese, female chronic dieters. Naturalistic weight-reduction efforts prospectively predict growth in relative weight and onset of obesity among female adolescents. Impact of an Online Healthful Eating and Physical Activity Program for College Students Health-At-Every-Size and eating behaviors: 1-year follow-up results of a size acceptance intervention. Nondieting versus dieting treatment for overweight binge-eating women. Comparative effectiveness of a mindful eating intervention to a diabetes self-management intervention among adults with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study. Sustainability of health and lifestyle improvements following a non-dieting randomised trial in overweight women. Well-being and morbid obesity in women: a controlled therapy evaluation. Evaluation of a “Nondieting” Stress Reduction Program for Overweight Women: A Randomized Trial
abstract: OBJECTIVE . To assess whether weight-related teasing predicts the development of  binge eating , unhealthy weight control behaviors , and frequent dieting  among male and female adolescents . METHODS . A prospect i ve study was conducted with an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 2516 adolescents who completed surveys at both time 1 ( 1998–1999 ) and time 2 ( 2003–2004 ) of the Project EAT ( Eating Among Teens ) study . RESULTS . In 1998–1999 , approximately one fourth of participants reported being teased about their weight at least a few times a year . After adjustment for age , race/ethnicity , socioeconomic status ( SES ) , and BMI , boys who were teased about their weight were more likely than their peers to initiate binge eating with loss of control and unhealthy weight control behaviors 5 years later . The predicted prevalence for incident binge eating behaviors with loss of control among boys who were teased was 4.1 % as compared with 1.4 % for those who were not teased , after adjustment for age , race/ethnicity , SES , and BMI . For unhealthy weight control behaviors at time 2 , the predicted prevalence was 27.5 % among boys who were teased and 19.3 % for boys who were not teased , after adjustment for age , race/ethnicity , SES , and BMI . Girls who were teased were more likely than their peers to become frequent dieters . The predicted prevalence for incident frequent dieting among girls who were teased was 18.2 % as compared with 11.0 % for those who were not teased , after adjustment for age , race/ethnicity , SES , and BMI . CONCLUSIONS . Weight teasing in adolescence predicts disordered eating behaviors at 5-year follow-up . The patterns of these associations differ by gender . Reducing teasing through educational interventions and policies may reduce the level of disordered eating behaviors among youths OBJECTIVE To assess whether dieting to control weight was associated with  weight change among children and adolescents . METHODS A prospect i ve study was conducted of 8203 girls and 6769 boys who were 9 to 14 years of age in 1996 , were in an ongoing cohort study , and completed at least 2 annual question naires between 1996 and 1999 .  Dieting to control weight , binge eating , and dietary intake  were assessed annually from 1996 through 1998 with instruments design ed specifically for children and adolescents . The outcome measure was age- and sex-specific z score of body mass index ( BMI ) . RESULTS In 1996 , 25.0 % of the girls and 13.8 % of the boys were infrequent dieters and 4.5 % of the girls and 2.2 % of the boys were frequent dieters . Among the girls , the percentage of dieters increased over the following 2 years . Binge eating was more common among the girls , but in both sexes , it was associated with dieting to control weight ( girls : infrequent dieters , odds ratio [ OR ] : 5.10 ; frequent dieters , OR : 12.4 ; boys : infrequent dieters , OR : 3.49 ; frequent dieters , OR : 7.30 ) . During 3 years of follow-up , dieters gained more weight than nondieters . Among the girls , frequency of dieting was positively associated with increases in age- and sex-specific z scores of BMI ( beta = 0.05 and beta = 0.04 for frequent and infrequent dieters vs nondieters ) . Among the boys , both frequent and infrequent dieters gained 0.07 z scores of BMI more than nondieters . In addition , boys who engaged in binge eating gained significantly more weight than nondieters . CONCLUSIONS Although medically supervised weight control may be beneficial for overweight youths , our data suggest that for many adolescents , dieting to control weight is not only ineffective , it may actually promote weight gain OBJECTIVE : To evaluate a modified cognitive – behavioural treatment ( M-CBT ) for weight management which addresses both the psychosocial costs and the physiological health risks of obesity , without a focus on weight loss . DESIGN : R and omized controlled trial comparing M-CBT with st and ard cognitive – behavioural therapy (S-CBT).SUBJECTS : Sixty-three overweight women with body mass index ( BMI ) ≥28 kg/m2 , mean age=47.5 and mean BMI = 35.4 .  MEASURES : Weight , waist and hip circumference , blood lipids , blood glucose , blood pressure , psychological well-being , depression , self esteem , stress , binge eating , eating style , body image , nutrient intake , aerobic fitness , activity levels , patient satisfaction with treatment . RESULTS : Both M-CBT and S-CBT achieved improvements in a broad range of physical , psychological and behavioural variables . Weight loss in the S-CBT group was greater than in the M-CBT group immediately after treatment , but both groups lost weight . Participants in the M-CBT group continued to lose weight up to the 1 y follow-up . M-CBT was evaluated positively by participants . CONCLUSIONS : Both M-CBT and S-CBT programmes were successful at inducing modest weight loss , as well as improving emotional well-being , reducing distress , increasing activity and fitness , improving dietary quality and reducing cardio-vascular disease risk factors . The improvements were maintained or continued at 1 y follow-up . These results suggest that treatment based on the new weight-control paradigm which emphasizes sustained lifestyle change without emphasis on dieting , can produce modest benefits to health and well-being BACKGROUND Several studies have examined attitudes about obesity among food and nutrition professionals , yielding mixed results , and no experimental research has tested the impact of dietitians ' attitudes on their treatment practice s or health evaluations with obese patients . OBJECTIVE This study investigated attitudes of dietetics students toward obese persons and tested whether a patient 's body weight influences students ' treatment decisions and health evaluations within a r and omized experiment . DESIGN Between the months of September and December 2007 , a convenience sample of 182 dietetics undergraduate students ( 92 % women ; mean age 23.1+/-5.4 years ) from colleges throughout the United States completed online self-report surveys to assess weight bias ( using the Fat Phobia Scale ) . Participants were also r and omly assigned to read one of four mock health profiles of patients who varied only by weight-related characteristics ( eg , obese or average weight ) and sex ( male or female ) , and asked to make judgments about the patient 's health status and participation in treatment . STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED To compare group data , multiple analysis of variance was used to test for an effect of the patient 's body mass index on participants ' health evaluations and their perceptions of patients in each of the four experimental conditions . Correlations were calculated between mean fat phobia scores and perceptions of patients . RESULTS Participants in all conditions expressed a moderate amount of fat phobia ( mean=3.7 ) , and students rated obese patients as being less likely to comply with treatment recommendations compared with nonobese patients ( P<0.05 ) . Results from multivariate analysis of variance tests showed students also evaluated obese patients ' diet quality and health status to be poorer than nonobese patients , despite equivalent nutritional and health information across weight categories for each sex in patient profiles . In contrast , obese and nonobese patients were rated to be similarly motivated , receptive , and successful in treatment . CONCLUSION Implication s of these findings for education and intervention in dietetics training are discussed , with emphasis on increasing awareness of weight bias in existing dietetics curricula Obese individuals tend to behave more impulsively than healthy weight individuals across a variety of measures , but it is unclear whether this pattern can be altered . The present study examined the effects of a mindful eating behavioral strategy on impulsive and risky choice patterns for hypothetical food and money . In Experiment 1 , 304 participants completed computerized delay and probability discounting tasks  for food-related and monetary outcomes . High percent body fat ( PBF ) predicted more impulsive choice for food , but not small-value money , replicating previous work . In Experiment 2 , 102 r and omly selected participants from Experiment 1 were assigned to participate in a 50-min workshop on mindful eating or to watch an educational video . They then completed the discounting tasks again . Participants who completed the mindful eating session showed more self-controlled and less risk-averse discounting patterns for food compared to baseline ; those in the control condition discounted similarly to baseline rates . There were no changes in discounting for money for either group , suggesting stimulus specificity for food for the mindful eating condition OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of the " My Body Knows When " intuitive-eating ( IE ) program tailored to assist Fort Drum military spouses in rejecting the dieting mentality . METHODS R and omized prospect i ve study ( N = 61 ) evaluating dieting mentality and health indicators  for a 10-week intervention based on 10 IE principles . The program was developed through the PRECEDE/PROCEED ( PP ) health promotion planning model . RESULTS The intuitive-eating program was able to significantly transition participants away from a dieting mentality ( P < 0.015 posttest ) towards intuitive-eating lifestyle behaviors . CONCLUSIONS IE is a holist approach to long-term healthy behavior change and would benefit from an extended support system to improve effectiveness This study explored the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for problematic eating behavior . A non- clinical sample of 26 women with disordered eating behavior was r and omly assigned to an 8-week MBCT-based eating intervention or a waiting list control group . Data were collected at baseline and after 8 weeks . Compared to controls , participants in the mindfulness intervention showed significantly greater decreases in food cravings , dichotomous thinking , body image concern , emotional eating and external eating . These findings suggest that mindfulness practice can be an effective way to reduce factors that are associated with problematic eating behaviour OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of a " Health-At-Every-Size " ( HAES ) intervention on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in 144 premenopausal overweight women . RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Women were r and omly assigned to one of the 3 groups : HAES group , social support ( SS ) group , and control group ( N = 48 in each group ) . Interventions were conducted over a 4-month period , and measurements were taken before and after this period . Eating behaviors ( cognitive dietary restraint , disinhibition , and susceptibility to hunger ) were evaluated by the Three-Factor Eating Question naire .  Appetite ratings ( desire to eat , hunger , fullness , and prospect i ve food consumption ) were assessed by  visual analogue scales  before and after a st and ardized breakfast . RESULTS More important decreases in susceptibility to hunger and external hunger were observed in the HAES group when compared with the SS group ( p=0.05 , for susceptibility to hunger ) and the control group ( p=0.02 and p=0.005 , for susceptibility to hunger and external hunger , respectively ) . In addition , women from the HAES group had more important decreases in postpr and ial area under the curve for desire to eat ( p=0.02 ) and hunger ( p=0.04 ) when compared with the control group . The change in the desire to eat noted in the HAES group was also different from the one observed in SS group ( p=0.02 ) . Women from the HAES group experienced significant weight loss at 4 months ( -1.6+/-2.5 kg , p<0.0001 ) , which did not differ significantly from the SS and control groups ( p=0.09 ) . An increase in flexible restraint was significantly related to a greater weight loss in both HAES and SS groups ( r=-0.39 , p<0.01 ; and r=-0.37 , p<0.05 , respectively ) . A decrease in habitual susceptibility to disinhibition was also associated with a greater weight loss in HAES and control groups ( r=0.31 , p<0.05 ; and r=0.44 , p<0.05 , respectively ) . DISCUSSION These results suggest that a HAES intervention could have significant effects on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in premenopausal overweight women , when compared with an SS intervention or a control group OBJECTIVE : To document attitudes and current practice s of Australian dietitians in the management of  overweight and obesity  , and to examine their training needs . DESIGN : Cross-sectional postal survey of a r and omly selected sample of members of the Dietitians Association of Australia . SUBJECTS : 400 dietitians ( 66 % of those surveyed ) . MEASURES : Question naire-based measures of dietitian 's views of obesity , education and training in weight management , definitions and perceptions of success , professional preparedness , approaches to weight management , strategies recommended for weight management , and problems and frustrations experienced . RESULTS : Dietitians viewed themselves as potential leaders in the field of weight management , and saw this area as an important part of their role . While they considered themselves to be the best-trained professionals in this area , many felt that their training was poor and many were pessimistic about intervention outcomes . Despite this , most dietitians held views that were current , and regularly employed many of the elements of known best practice in management . However , important areas of weakness included : providing opportunities for long-term follow-up ; providing a range of management interventions ; promoting self-monitoring of diet and exercise ; and promoting opportunities for social support . CONCLUSIONS : This study suggests that training in and advocacy for the management and prevention of overweight and obesity are priority areas for dietitians , and that formal studies to evaluate dietitians ’ effectiveness in management should be undertaken A r and omized trial was conducted to see if there could be effective alternatives to dieting for obese women . It compared a 12-week ( I h/week ) education intervention , a 12-week ( 2 h/week ) psychoeducational intervention , and a control group on self-esteem , body dissatisfaction , and restrained eating  of obese women . Secondary variables of interest were social adjustment , symptoms of depression , scores on bulimia , and drive for thinness , weight , and blood pressure . Complete data were available at pre- and posttest time for 78 women . A MANCOVA indicated that the psychoeducation group improved over the control group on self-esteem , restraint , and body dissatisfaction . The education group did not differ statistically from the control group at posttest . Means of weight and blood pressure did not change . A nondieting approach can be beneficial to the emotional health of obese women without changing weight and blood pressure risk factors for other morbidity OBJECTIVE Examine a model that encourages health at every size as opposed to weight loss . The health at every size concept supports homeostatic regulation and eating intuitively ( ie , in response to internal cues of hunger , satiety , and appetite ) . DESIGN Six-month , r and omized clinical trial ; 2-year follow-up . SUBJECTS White , obese , female chronic dieters , aged 30 to 45 years ( N=78 ) . SETTING Free-living , general community . INTERVENTIONS Six months of weekly group intervention ( health at every size program or diet program ) , followed by 6 months of monthly aftercare group support . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Anthropometry ( weight , body mass index ) , metabolic fitness ( blood pressure , blood lipids ) , energy expenditure , eating behavior ( restraint , eating disorder pathology ) , and psychology ( self-esteem , depression , body image ) . Attrition , attendance , and participant evaluations of treatment helpfulness were also monitored . STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED Analysis of variance . RESULTS Cognitive restraint decreased in the health at every size group and increased in the diet group , indicating that both groups implemented their programs . Attrition ( 6 months ) was high in the diet group ( 41 % ) , compared with 8 % in the health at every size group . Fifty percent of both groups returned for 2-year evaluation . Health at every size group members maintained weight , improved in all outcome variables , and sustained improvements . Diet group participants lost weight and showed initial improvement in many variables at 1 year ; weight was regained and little improvement was sustained . CONCLUSIONS The health at every size approach enabled participants to maintain long-term behavior change ; the diet approach did not . Encouraging size acceptance , reduction in dieting behavior , and heightened awareness and response to body signals result ed in improved health risk indicators for obese women This study examined the prospect i ve relations of naturalistic weight-reduction efforts to growth in relative weight and onset of obesity with data from a community study of female adolescents ( N = 692 ) . Initial self-labeled dieting , appetite suppressant/laxative use , incidental exercise , vomiting for weight-control purpose s , and binge eating predicted elevated growth in relative weight over the 4-year period . Dietary restraint , self-labeled dieting , exercise for weight-control purpose s , and appetite suppressant/laxative use predicted an increased risk for obesity onset . Data imply that the weight-reduction efforts reported by adolescents are more likely to result in weight gain than in weight loss and suggest the need to educate youth on more effective weight-control strategies Purpose . To identify impact of an online nutrition and physical activity program for college students . Design . R and omized , controlled trial using online question naires and on-site physical and fitness assessment s with measurement intervals of 0 ( baseline ) , 3 ( postintervention ) , and 15 months ( follow-up ) . Setting . Online intervention delivered to college students ; a central ized Web site was used for recruitment , data collection , data management , and intervention delivery . Subjects . College students ( 18–24 years old , n = 1689 ) , from eight universities ( Michigan State University , South Dakota State University , Syracuse University , The Pennsylvania State University , Tuskegee University , University of Rhode Isl and , University of Maine , and University of Wisconsin ) . Intervention . A 10-lesson curriculum focusing on healthful eating and physical activity , stressing nondieting principles such as size acceptance and eating competence ( software developer : Rainstorm , Inc , Orono , Maine ) . Measures . Measurements included anthropometrics , cardiorespiratory fitness , fruit/vegetable ( FV ) intake , eating competence , physical activity , and psychosocial stress . Analysis . Repeated measures analysis of variance for outcome variables . Results . Most subjects were white , undergraduate females ( 63 % ) , with 25 % either overweight or obese . Treatment group completion rate for the curriculum was 84 % . Over 15 months , the treatment group had significantly higher FV intake ( + .5 cups/d ) and physical activity participation ( + 270 metabolic equivalent minutes per week ) than controls . For both groups , anthropometric values and stress increased , and fitness levels decreased . Gender differences were present for most variables . First-year males and females gained more weight than participants in other school years . Conclusion . A 10-week online nutrition and physical activity intervention to encourage competence in making healthful food and eating decisions had a positive , lasting effect on FV intake and maintained baseline levels of physical activity in a population that otherwise experiences significant declines in these healthful behaviors BACKGROUND Poor long-term success observed with current weight-control strategies stresses the relevance to explore new weight management approaches . OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of a Health-At-Every-Size ( HAES ) intervention on  eating behaviors , appetite sensations , metabolic and anthropometric variables , and physical activity levels  in women at 6-month and 1-year postintervention . DESIGN R and omized controlled trial ; measurements at baseline , at the end of the intervention period ( 4 months ) , and at 6-month and 1-year postintervention ( 10 months and 16 months , respectively ) . Intervention and testing took place from September 2003 to August 2006 . PARTICIPANTS / SETTING Premenopausal overweight/obese women ( n=144 ; mean age of 42.3+/-5.6 years ) , recruited from free-living , general community . INTERVENTION Women were r and omly assigned to : HAES group ( n=48 ) , social support group ( n=48 ) , or control group ( n=48 ) . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Eating behaviors ( restraint , disinhibition , and susceptibility to hunger ) , appetite ratings ( desire to eat , hunger , fullness , and prospect i ve food consumption ) , anthropometric and metabolic variables ( body mass index , waist and hip circumferences , blood lipid levels , and blood pressure ) , and engagement in moderate to intense physical activity ( energy cost > or = 1.2 k cal x kg(-1 ) x 15 minutes(-1 ) [ > or = 4.8 metabolic equivalents ] ) . STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED Changes for each dependent variable were assessed by linear mixed models according to a group ( HAES vs social support vs control ) by time ( baseline vs 4 months vs 10 months vs 16 months ) split-plot design . RESULTS Situational susceptibility to disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger significantly decreased over time in both HAES group ( -0.9+/-0.2 and -1.3+/-0.5 , respectively ) and the social support group ( -0.4+/- 0.2 and -1.4+/-0.5 , respectively ) . Although eating behavior scores observed at 16 months did not differ between HAES and social support groups ( situational susceptibility to disinhibition : 2.5+/-0.2 in HAES group vs 2.7 + /- 0.2 in social support group ; susceptibility to hunger : 4.2+/-0.5 in both groups ) , they were lower in these groups than scores noted in the control group ( 3.3+/-0.2 for situational susceptibility to disinhibition and 5.9+/-0.5 for susceptibility to hunger ) . CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that , when compared to a control group , an HAES approach could have long-term beneficial effects on eating behaviors related to disinhibition and hunger . In addition , our study did not show distinctive effects of the HAES approach in comparison to a social support intervention This study evaluated the effectiveness of nondieting versus dieting treatments for overweight , binge-eating women . Participants ( N = 219 ) were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 groups : diet treatment ( DT ) , nondiet treatment ( NDT ) , or wait-list control ( WLC ) . DT received a balanced-deficit diet reinforced with behavioral strategies . NDT received therapy design ed to help participants break out of their dieting cycles . Treatment in both conditions was administered in weekly groups for 6 months , followed by 26 biweekly maintenance meetings , for a total of 18 months of contact . At 6 months posttreatment , DT lost 0.6 kg while NDT gained 1.3 kg . Both treatment groups reduced their Binge Eating Scale scores significantly more than WLC . At 18-month follow-up , both treatment groups experienced weight gain but maintained similar reductions in binge eating . Results indicate that neither intervention was successful in producing short- or long-term weight loss . Therapist biases , which may have affected treatment integrity , and other method ological issues are discussed in relation to the small weight losses achieved Mindful eating offers promise as an effective approach for weight management and glycemic control in people with diabetes .  Diabetes self-management education ( DSME ) is an essential component of effective self-care . Yet , little research has compared the effect of mindful eating to DSME-based treatment . This study compared the impact of these two interventions in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus . A prospect i ve r and omized controlled trial with two parallel interventions was used . Participants included adults age 35 to 65 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus for 1 year or more , body mass index ( BMI ) of 27 or more , and hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c ) of 7 % or more who were r and omly assigned to a 3-month mindful eating ( MB-EAT-D ; n=27 ) or Smart Choices ( SC ) DSME-based ( n=25 ) intervention . Follow-up occurred 3 months after intervention completion . Dietary intake , physical activity , weight , HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose , and fasting insulin were assessed using repeated measures analysis of variance with contrast analysis . There was no significant difference between groups in the change in weight or glycemia at study end . Significant difference occurred between groups in the change in dietary intake/1,000 kcal of trans fats , total fiber , and sugars ( all P<0.05 ) . Mean ( ± st and ard error ) reduction in weight ( -2.92 ± 0.54 kg for SC vs -1.53 ± 0.54 kg for MB-EAT-D ) and HbA1c ( -0.67 ± 0.24 % for SC and -0.83 ± 0.24 % for MB-EAT-D ) were significant ( P<0.01 ) . Significant reduction in energy intake and glycemic load occurred ( all P<0.0001 ) for both groups . Training in mindful eating and diabetes self-management  facilitate improvement in dietary intake , modest weight loss , and glycemic control . The availability of effective treatments gives patients with diabetes choices in meeting their self-care needs OBJECTIVE To compare three non-dieting interventions that focused on lifestyle change rather than weight loss , in terms of the sustainability of improvements in lifestyle behaviors , psychological well-being and medical symptoms at 2 years . METHOD In Dunedin , New Zeal and in 2002/2003 , 225 obese/overweight women ( BMI > or = 28 ; 25 - 68 years ) participated in a r and omised , intention-to-treat trial comparing two group programs ( P1 , P2 ) and a self-guided mail-delivered program ( P3 ) . Only P1 included intensive relaxation response training . All three non-dieting interventions involved a 10-week program , followed by an eight-month support phase . Participants completed baseline , 1-year and 2-year assessment s. Outcomes included behavioral , psychological and medical symptom measures and a composite success score . RESULTS 118 participants completed the 2-year follow-up . Only among P1 participants were the reductions in psychological distress and medical symptoms achieved at 1 year , also maintained at 2 years . At 2 years , P1 participants had significantly greater increases in stress management behaviors than those in P2 ( p<0.05 ) , and significantly greater success scores than those in P3 ( p<0.05 ) . In all three programs , mean weight was unchanged at 2 years . CONCLUSION Inclusion of relaxation response training in a healthy lifestyle program facilitates long-term maintenance of psychological and medical symptom improvements even in the absence of weight loss OBJECTIVE Morbidly obese individuals are unlikely to reach and maintain normative weights . Thus , interventions aim ed at alleviating corollary problems , independent of attempts at weight loss , are appropriate . A cognitive group treatment program ( CT ) was developed which incorporated a nondieting approach , regular exercise , and use of alternative coping skills . Weight loss per se was not a focus of the intervention . The purpose of the current work was to evaluate this program in a controlled , comparative treatment outcome study . METHOD Sixty-two obese women with a history of treatment failures were r and omly assigned to the CT program , a behavior therapy weight loss program ( BT ) , or a wait-list control group . RESULTS For CT participants , depression , anxiety , and eating-related psychopathology decreased significantly over the course of treatment while perceptions of self-control increased ; BT and control subjects showed no significant changes in these variables . Women in both active treatment groups lost significant amounts of weight , while members of the control group showed a nonsignificant increase in weight . At 6-month follow-up , treatment benefits were maintained . DISCUSSION Findings suggest that interventions not directly aim ed at weight loss can enhance psychological well-being and thus may be appropriate for some obese women Purpose . Determine if a “ nondieting ” intervention focused on intensive training in eliciting the relaxation response enhances health outcomes compared with nondieting interventions without such training . Design . R and omized trial with follow-up at 10 weeks , 4 months , and 12 months . Setting . General community . Subjects . Total of 225 overweight and obese women with at least one other cardiovascular risk factor . Interventions . Three 10-week nondieting interventions : a group program ( P1 ) focused on intensive training in techniques for eliciting the relaxation response ( n = 60 ) , a group program ( P2 ) focused on healthy eating and physical activity ( n = 61 ) , and a self-guided , mail-delivered version of P2 ( P3 ; n = 101 ) . Measures . The Revised Symptom Checklist measured psychological distress , the Medical Symptoms Checklist measured the experience of medical symptoms , and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile measured a range of lifestyle behaviors . Self-efficacy for low-fat eating , intuitive eating , and body mass index were also assessed . Analysis . An intention-to-treat analysis was used . Results . At 12 months , P1 produced statistically greater improvements in stress management behaviors and medical symptom discomfort and was the only program to significantly improve self-efficacy for low-fat eating . In P1 , the effect sizes for reductions in depression ( 0.75 ) and interpersonal sensitivity ( 0.85 ) were large . At 12 months , mean weight was unchanged . Conclusion . Inclusion of intensive relaxation response training in a nondieting program for overweight women enhanced stress management and medical symptoms outcomes but not weight outcomes
target: RESULTS Non-diet interventions result ed in statistically significant improvements in disordered eating patterns , self-esteem , and depression .
background: OBJECTIVE To determine the overall effect of non-diet , weight-neutral interventions on factors such as weight , biochemical measures , food and activity behavior , body image , and mental health .