Pilot Investigation of 2 Nondiet Approaches to Improve Weight and Health.

Context • Weight loss and maintenance are associated with many health benefits, but long-term maintenance of weight loss remains elusive for many people. Overweight individuals are at higher risk than normal-weight individuals for stress-induced overeating. The use of stress-management tools in a weight loss program might decrease the physiological stress that fuels overeating and improve posttreatment maintenance of weight loss Objective • The study intended to compare the differences in outcomes between 2 approaches to achieving weight loss and changes in health-stress reduction and intuitive eating (IE)-during a 14-wk period. Design • The research team designed a small, randomized, controlled pilot study. Setting • The study took place at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY, USA). Participants • Men and women, aged 25 to 65 y, with a body mass index ≥30 but ≤40 kg/m2, were recruited through various outlets on a large college campus, and 33 enrolled in the study. Intervention • Participants were randomly assigned either to an IE or to a stress-reduction program (EBT) for a 7 wk intervention and a 7-wk follow-up period. Outcome Measures • Weight, blood pressure, stress, depression, and eating behaviors were measured at baseline, postintervention at week 7, and postintervention at week 14. Results • Participants were 69.7% female and 93.9% Caucasian. An intent-to-treat analysis was conducted on the main outcome of weight. At 14 wk, the EBT group had lost 4.4 ± 6.7 lb (1.99 ± 3.04 kg), and the IE group had lost 1.03 ± 6.10 lb (0.48 ± 2.77 kg). A repeated measures analysis of variance did not find any significant difference between groups for weight change (P = .36). Completers in the EBT group significantly improved blood pressure, perceived stress, and food addiction symptoms from baseline to 7 wk (P < .05). Only the changes in weight were maintained at 14 wk. Conclusions • The study suggested that the stress reduction approach may be viable as an approach to weight loss and improvements in health-related outcomes in the short term. A longer investigation of the program is warranted.

A comparison of a behavioral weight loss program to a stress management program: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared a behavioral weight loss program (BWL) with a stress management-based program, Emotional Brain Training (EBT), on weight loss, blood pressure, depression, perceived stress, diet, and physical activity. METHODS: Subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of >28 and <45 kg/m(2) were recruited in Lexington, Kentucky in January 2014 and randomized to BWL or EBT for a 20-week intervention. Of those recruited, 49 participants were randomized to EBT or BWL. Randomization and allocation to group were performed using SPSS software. Weight, blood pressure, depression, perceived stress, dietary intake, and physical activity were measured at baseline, 10 week, and 20 week. Linear models for change over time were fit to calculate 95% confidence intervals of intervention effects. RESULTS: BWL produced greater changes in BMI than EBT at both 10 (P = 0.02) and 20 wk (P = 0.03). At 10 wk, both EBT and BWL improved BMI, systolic blood pressure, depression and perceived stress (P < 0.05). BWL also improved diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.005). At 20 wk, EBT maintained improvements in BMI, systolic blood pressure, depression, and perceived stress while BWL maintained improvements only in BMI and depression (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BWL produced greater weight loss than EBT; however, EBT produced sustained improvements in stress, depression, and systolic blood pressure. A combination of the two approaches should be explored.