Psychological and behavioral responses to daily weight gain during behavioral weight loss treatment.

Self-weighing is consistently associated with more effective weight control. However, patterns show that participants disengage from their weight control behaviors following weight gain. Women with BMIs in the overweight/obese range (N = 50) enrolled in a long-term behavioral weight loss program completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys immediately after their daily weigh-ins. Nightly EMA surveys and self-monitoring data through Fitbit measured their weight control behavior that day. On days when participants gained weight (vs. lost or maintained), they reported more negative mood, more guilt/shame, and lower confidence in weight control. Motivation following daily weight gain depended on participants' overall satisfaction with their weight loss so far: more satisfied participants had marginally higher, but less satisfied participants had marginally lower motivation in response to daily weight gain. Greater guilt/shame and lower motivation after the weigh-in predicted less effective weight control behavior that day (e.g., lower likelihood of calorie tracking, fewer minutes of physical activity). Results demonstrate that even small weight gain is distressing and demoralizing for women in BWL programs, which can lead to goal disengagement. These findings have implications for future BWL interventions, including the potential utility of just-in-time adaptive interventions to promote more adaptive responses in the moments after weigh-ins.

Acute effects of exercise among individuals with schizophrenia who smoke cigarettes.

People with schizophrenia (SCZ) have a shorter life expectancy than those without psychiatric conditions. Of note, people with SCZ have high rates of cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity. These factors all coalesce to contribute to compromised health in this population, with smoking as a primary contributor. Therefore, it is paramount to develop effective smoking cessation strategies for this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether walking at a brisk pace, relative to engaging in passive activity, would reduce acute cigarette craving, nicotine withdrawal, and negative affect (NA) among people with SCZ who smoke cigarettes. Using a within-subjects design, twenty participants completed four laboratory sessions with condition sequence counterbalanced: 1) exposure to smoking cues + treadmill walking, 2) exposure to neutral cues + treadmill walking, 3) exposure to smoking cues + passive/sedentary activity, 4) exposure to neutral cues + passive/sedentary activity. Relative to sedentary activity, walking resulted in greater decreases in nicotine withdrawal but did not significantly affect craving or NA. These results did not vary as a function of cue type. These findings suggest that walking may be a helpful strategy to reduce acute nicotine withdrawal symptoms among people with SCZ. However, it should be used in conjunction with other strategies for smoking cessation.

Gamification and neurotraining to engage men in behavioral weight loss: Protocol for a factorial randomized controlled trial.

Over 70% of men are overweight, and most desire weight loss; however, men are profoundly underrepresented in weight loss programs. Gamification represents a novel approach to engaging men and may enhance efficacy through two means: (1) game-based elements (e.g., streaks, badges, team-based competition) to motivate weight control behaviors and (2) arcade-style "neurotraining" to enhance neurocognitive capacities to resist the temptation of unhealthy foods and more automatically select healthy foods. This study will use a 2 × 2 factorial design to examine the independent and combinatory efficacy of gamification and inhibitory control training (ICT). Men with overweight/obesity (N = 228) will receive a 12-month mobile weight loss program that incorporates behavioral weight loss strategies (e.g., self-monitoring, goal setting, stimulus control). Men will be randomly assigned to a non-gamified or gamified version, and an active or sham ICT. A game design company will create the program, with input from a male advisory panel. Aims of the project are to test whether a gamified (versus non-gamified) weight loss program and/or ICT (versus sham) promotes greater improvements in weight, diet, and physical activity; whether these treatment factors have combinatory or synergistic effects; to test whether postulated mechanisms of action (increased engagement, for gamification, and inhibitory control, for ICT) mediate treatment effects; and whether baseline gameplay frequency and implicit preferences for ICT-targeted foods moderate effects. It is hoped this study will contribute to improved mHealth programs for men and enhance our understanding of the impact of gamified elements and neurocognitive training on weight control.