Mindfulness in Adolescents With Obesity

American University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mindfulness; Usual Care

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness; Behavioral: Usual Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03874377

CNMC Pro00011128

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to conduct a single arm open trial to examine the feasibility of a brief, adjunctive mindfulness intervention tailored to the needs of adolescents with severe obesity.

Full description

The purpose of this study is to examine whether it is feasible to integrate a brief, adjunctive mindfulness intervention with the standard medical management of obesity in adolescents with severe obesity. Mindfulness refers to the experience of paying attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental manner. Mindfulness training enhances one's ability to cope with negative emotions and one's awareness of decision-making processes and internal experiences.

The proposed study has two specific aims: 1) to conduct a single arm open trial to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the mindfulness intervention in a sample of 15 adolescents with severe obesity; and 2) to examine the preliminary efficacy of the mindfulness intervention on BMI, emotion regulation, eating and weight-related behaviors, impulsivity, waist circumference, and blood pressure in comparison to the standard of care.

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• between the ages of 12 - 17 years
• a current patient of our affiliated obesity clinic
• have a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 45 kg/m2.

Exclusion criteria

• have a known genetic cause of obesity
• have been diagnosed with a severe intellectual or learning disability
• have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or current psychosis
• are taking a medication intended to reduce body weight

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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11 participants in 1 patient group

Mindfulness

Experimental group

Description:

The mindfulness intervention consists of 6 weekly sessions, blending material from the evidence-based Learning to BREATHE and Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training manualized interventions. Sessions will focus on: experiential mindfulness exercises, such as mindful eating, loving kindness practices, breath awareness, and mindful movement; hunger and satiety awareness; improving responses to emotions; practicing acceptance and being non-judgmental; and tolerating negative feelings and sensations, including those related to hunger and cravings. Participants will be assigned brief homework exercises (approximately 10 minutes) daily in between appointments.Participants in this arm will also receive the usual care provided by the weight management clinic.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Behavioral: Usual Care