Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

© 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society Objectives: To evaluate effectiveness and acceptability of a novel intervention, based on self-regulation theory, for weight loss. Design: A two-arm parallel group design was employed. Methods: Adult participants with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and the aim to lose weight were recruited and randomized to either a control or intervention group. Both groups were asked to weigh themselves daily for eight weeks. The intervention group was encouraged to use a weight tracking app, and complete daily and weekly questionnaires to prompt action planning, reflection, and evaluation of actions. Participants chose daily actions from a menu of 53 behaviours. The primary outcome was weight change after 8 weeks, assessed using linear mixed effects models. At follow-up, 20 intervention group participants were interviewed regarding their experiences in the trial. Results: 100 participants were recruited, and 98% were followed up at 8 weeks. Mean weight loss was −4.18 kg (SD = 3.84) in the intervention compared to −1.01 kg (SD = 2.67) in the control group; the adjusted difference was −3.20 kg (95% CI −4.49, −1.92). Participants rated the intervention’s usefulness as 8.25 (SD = 2.04) on a scale from 1 to 10. Adherence was a significant independent predictor of weight loss success (−1.54 kg per one SD, 95% CI −2.16, −0.93), but not a mediator of the intervention effect. Participants reported that the intervention enabled them to experiment with and identify effective weight loss actions. Conclusions: Guiding participants through the self-regulation process was feasible, acceptable to participants, and led to significantly greater short-term weight loss than unguided self-weighing.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/bjhp.12436

Type

Journal article

Journal

British Journal of Health Psychology

Publication Date

01/01/2020