Family-Based Mindful Eating Intervention for Overweight Adolescents
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Obesity Weight Loss, Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Endocrinology, Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 14 - 17 |
| Updated: | 5/13/2017 |
| Start Date: | April 2014 |
| End Date: | March 2017 |
Adaptation and Evaluation of a Family-Based Mindful Eating Intervention for Overweight Adolescents
With currently 35% of U.S. adolescents being overweight and one in six having metabolic
syndrome, adolescent obesity is one of the major global health challenges of the 21st
century. Few enduring treatment strategies have been identified in adolescent populations
and the majority of standard weight loss programs fail to adequately address the impact of
psychological factors on eating behavior and the beneficial contribution of parental
involvement in adolescent behavior change. A critical need exists to expand treatment
development efforts beyond traditional education and cognitive-behavioral programs and to
explore alternative treatment models for adolescent obesity. Meditation-based mindful eating
programs may represent a unique and novel scientific approach to the current adolescent
obesity epidemic as they address key psychological variables affecting weight. Furthermore,
the recent expansion of mindfulness programs to include family relationships shows the
immense potential for broadening the customarily individual focus of this intervention to
include broader factors thought to influence adolescent health outcomes. Thus, we propose to
develop a mindful eating approach to eating behavior and weight loss specifically tailored
for adolescents and their families. The first phase of our three phase development process
will be devoted to adapting an adolescent protocol (Mindful Eating-A) based on an
established mindful eating program currently being used with adult populations. We will then
develop a 'family enhanced Mindful Eating-A' (Mindful Eating-A+F) protocol that integrates a
family systems perspective. The goal of Mindful Eating-A+F is to expand the focus of Mindful
Eating-A to include family factors that influence adolescent eating behaviors. The second
design phase will consist of an initial test of both intervention components to provide
feedback on usefulness and acceptability (N = 10 families). The final phase will examine the
overall efficacy of the optimized Mindful Eating-A+F, relative to the Mindful Eating-A
intervention with 30 overweight adolescents (BMI > 85th percentile) ages 14-17 and at least
one parent. Within this examination, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up comparisons across
the two treatment approaches will be made and effect sizes within and between treatments
will be assessed.
syndrome, adolescent obesity is one of the major global health challenges of the 21st
century. Few enduring treatment strategies have been identified in adolescent populations
and the majority of standard weight loss programs fail to adequately address the impact of
psychological factors on eating behavior and the beneficial contribution of parental
involvement in adolescent behavior change. A critical need exists to expand treatment
development efforts beyond traditional education and cognitive-behavioral programs and to
explore alternative treatment models for adolescent obesity. Meditation-based mindful eating
programs may represent a unique and novel scientific approach to the current adolescent
obesity epidemic as they address key psychological variables affecting weight. Furthermore,
the recent expansion of mindfulness programs to include family relationships shows the
immense potential for broadening the customarily individual focus of this intervention to
include broader factors thought to influence adolescent health outcomes. Thus, we propose to
develop a mindful eating approach to eating behavior and weight loss specifically tailored
for adolescents and their families. The first phase of our three phase development process
will be devoted to adapting an adolescent protocol (Mindful Eating-A) based on an
established mindful eating program currently being used with adult populations. We will then
develop a 'family enhanced Mindful Eating-A' (Mindful Eating-A+F) protocol that integrates a
family systems perspective. The goal of Mindful Eating-A+F is to expand the focus of Mindful
Eating-A to include family factors that influence adolescent eating behaviors. The second
design phase will consist of an initial test of both intervention components to provide
feedback on usefulness and acceptability (N = 10 families). The final phase will examine the
overall efficacy of the optimized Mindful Eating-A+F, relative to the Mindful Eating-A
intervention with 30 overweight adolescents (BMI > 85th percentile) ages 14-17 and at least
one parent. Within this examination, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up comparisons across
the two treatment approaches will be made and effect sizes within and between treatments
will be assessed.
Adolescent obesity is one of the major global health challenges of the 21st century.
Currently, 35% of adolescents are overweight (BMI > 85th percentile), and one in six are
diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. While the adoption and maintenance of healthful dietary
practices has been identified as a high priority topic for future research, few enduring
treatment strategies have been identified. The cause of adolescent obesity is
multi-factorial; psychological and family factors largely contribute to this epidemic along
with biological and environmental influences. However, the majority of standard weight loss
programs fail to adequately address the impact of psychological factors on eating behavior
and the beneficial contribution of parental involvement in making dietary change in
overweight adolescent populations.
Meditation-based programs may improve the efficacy of more established weight-loss
interventions for adolescents by addressing key psychological variables affecting weight.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a well-established, systematic patient-centered
educational approach that uses training in mindfulness meditation to increase awareness of
and the ability to respond skillfully to experiences that contribute to emotional distress
and maladaptive behavior. The efficacy of MBSR in reducing psychological distress and
symptoms of stress in adults has been consistently shown in controlled studies. Significant
improvements in physiological measures related to metabolic syndrome including blood
pressure, cholesterol, and glycemic control have also been demonstrated. Similar meditation
programs have been successfully implemented with adolescents to address problems such as
hypertension, depression, and eating behaviors. Furthermore, the recent expansion of
mindfulness programs to include family relationships shows the immense potential for
broadening the customarily individual focus of meditation-based interventions to include
broader factors thought to influence adolescent health outcomes. This is important given
that greater involvement of the family is thought to increase the effectiveness of
interventions aimed at adolescent weight control, weight maintenance and weight loss.
Recently, researchers have begun to modify the MBSR program specifically for populations
attempting to make dietary health changes. One newly modified program for adults is Mindful
Eating & Living (MEAL), a brief 6-session program designed to teach skills which can lead to
increased awareness of eating, emotions, and judgment. Preliminary data from our own
research with adults shows significant changes in eating behaviors and other obesity related
problems, including reduced psychological distress, regulation of intake patterns,
disordered eating, improved metabolic regulation, and weight loss.
Although theoretically compelling, mindful eating interventions have never been examined
with an overweight adolescent population. Thus, an unprecedented opportunity exists to
develop a systematic program of research investigating a mindfulness approach to eating
behavior and weight loss specifically tailored for adolescents and their families. This is
critical given that adolescence is a period with special developmental considerations, and
it is not clear that weight loss programs developed for children or adults are effective
with adolescents. Interventions aimed at adolescent eating behaviors have met with mixed
success, and it has been theorized that this may be due, in part, to an inadequate
understanding of the factors (e.g. psychological and family-based) associated with eating
behaviors among adolescents that need to be addressed in interventions. To address these
gaps, this study proposes to systematically adapt, pilot, refine, and evaluate a
developmentally appropriate Mindful Eating intervention for overweight adolescents based on
the current protocol format taught in the adult MEAL program. We have designed a three-phase
iterative development process that includes: 1) community key informant and consultant
input; 2) beta-testing and further refinement of the program; and 3) formal pilot testing.
Study aims include:
Aim 1: Adapt a mindful eating intervention protocol (Mindful Eating -A) for an overweight
adolescent population (BMI ≥ 85th percentile), ages 14-17. The intervention will be tailored
to the unique developmental challenges of adolescence, suitable for use in applied community
settings, and demonstrate feasibility and acceptability.
Aim 2: Develop a 'family enhanced mindful eating -A' (Mindful Eating -A+F) intervention
protocol that integrates a family systems perspective into Mindful Eating -A. The goal is to
expand the focus of Mindful Eating -A to include family factors that influence adolescent
eating behaviors. These include food-related parenting styles, food organization behaviors,
family support, and the parents' own eating-related behaviors. Mindful Eating -A+F will
demonstrate feasibility, and acceptability, and will be suitable for use in applied
community settings.
Aim 3: To examine the overall efficacy of the optimized Mindful Eating -A+F, relative to the
Mindful Eating -A intervention. Within this examination, post-treatment and 3-month
follow-up comparisons across the two treatment approaches will be made. Effect sizes within
and between treatments will be assessed. We expect that Mindful Eating -A+F will show
stronger and more enduring effects than Mindful Eating -A alone on adolescent outcomes.
Primary outcomes include adolescent weight, BMI, and eating behaviors. Secondary outcomes
include adolescent's markers of metabolic syndrome, psychological distress, family barriers,
and mindfulness.
Currently, 35% of adolescents are overweight (BMI > 85th percentile), and one in six are
diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. While the adoption and maintenance of healthful dietary
practices has been identified as a high priority topic for future research, few enduring
treatment strategies have been identified. The cause of adolescent obesity is
multi-factorial; psychological and family factors largely contribute to this epidemic along
with biological and environmental influences. However, the majority of standard weight loss
programs fail to adequately address the impact of psychological factors on eating behavior
and the beneficial contribution of parental involvement in making dietary change in
overweight adolescent populations.
Meditation-based programs may improve the efficacy of more established weight-loss
interventions for adolescents by addressing key psychological variables affecting weight.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a well-established, systematic patient-centered
educational approach that uses training in mindfulness meditation to increase awareness of
and the ability to respond skillfully to experiences that contribute to emotional distress
and maladaptive behavior. The efficacy of MBSR in reducing psychological distress and
symptoms of stress in adults has been consistently shown in controlled studies. Significant
improvements in physiological measures related to metabolic syndrome including blood
pressure, cholesterol, and glycemic control have also been demonstrated. Similar meditation
programs have been successfully implemented with adolescents to address problems such as
hypertension, depression, and eating behaviors. Furthermore, the recent expansion of
mindfulness programs to include family relationships shows the immense potential for
broadening the customarily individual focus of meditation-based interventions to include
broader factors thought to influence adolescent health outcomes. This is important given
that greater involvement of the family is thought to increase the effectiveness of
interventions aimed at adolescent weight control, weight maintenance and weight loss.
Recently, researchers have begun to modify the MBSR program specifically for populations
attempting to make dietary health changes. One newly modified program for adults is Mindful
Eating & Living (MEAL), a brief 6-session program designed to teach skills which can lead to
increased awareness of eating, emotions, and judgment. Preliminary data from our own
research with adults shows significant changes in eating behaviors and other obesity related
problems, including reduced psychological distress, regulation of intake patterns,
disordered eating, improved metabolic regulation, and weight loss.
Although theoretically compelling, mindful eating interventions have never been examined
with an overweight adolescent population. Thus, an unprecedented opportunity exists to
develop a systematic program of research investigating a mindfulness approach to eating
behavior and weight loss specifically tailored for adolescents and their families. This is
critical given that adolescence is a period with special developmental considerations, and
it is not clear that weight loss programs developed for children or adults are effective
with adolescents. Interventions aimed at adolescent eating behaviors have met with mixed
success, and it has been theorized that this may be due, in part, to an inadequate
understanding of the factors (e.g. psychological and family-based) associated with eating
behaviors among adolescents that need to be addressed in interventions. To address these
gaps, this study proposes to systematically adapt, pilot, refine, and evaluate a
developmentally appropriate Mindful Eating intervention for overweight adolescents based on
the current protocol format taught in the adult MEAL program. We have designed a three-phase
iterative development process that includes: 1) community key informant and consultant
input; 2) beta-testing and further refinement of the program; and 3) formal pilot testing.
Study aims include:
Aim 1: Adapt a mindful eating intervention protocol (Mindful Eating -A) for an overweight
adolescent population (BMI ≥ 85th percentile), ages 14-17. The intervention will be tailored
to the unique developmental challenges of adolescence, suitable for use in applied community
settings, and demonstrate feasibility and acceptability.
Aim 2: Develop a 'family enhanced mindful eating -A' (Mindful Eating -A+F) intervention
protocol that integrates a family systems perspective into Mindful Eating -A. The goal is to
expand the focus of Mindful Eating -A to include family factors that influence adolescent
eating behaviors. These include food-related parenting styles, food organization behaviors,
family support, and the parents' own eating-related behaviors. Mindful Eating -A+F will
demonstrate feasibility, and acceptability, and will be suitable for use in applied
community settings.
Aim 3: To examine the overall efficacy of the optimized Mindful Eating -A+F, relative to the
Mindful Eating -A intervention. Within this examination, post-treatment and 3-month
follow-up comparisons across the two treatment approaches will be made. Effect sizes within
and between treatments will be assessed. We expect that Mindful Eating -A+F will show
stronger and more enduring effects than Mindful Eating -A alone on adolescent outcomes.
Primary outcomes include adolescent weight, BMI, and eating behaviors. Secondary outcomes
include adolescent's markers of metabolic syndrome, psychological distress, family barriers,
and mindfulness.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adolescent ages 14-17 years old living at home with at least one parent/guardian,
- BMI ≥ 85th percentile,
- assent from adolescent,
- consent from a parent/guardian,
- willingness of one parent/guardian living with adolescent to participate in the
study,
- English speaking.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Adolescent BMI ≥ 40 (requires additional medical attention the intervention is unable
to provide),
- previously diagnosed type 1 or type 2 diabetes,
- blood pressure in the range of stage 2 hypertension which requires medication
- treatment which interferes with outcomes related to blood pressure and glucose,
- medications that significantly interfere with weight gain such as oral steroid use
greater than two consecutive weeks
- antipsychotic medications,
- participation in a standardized weight loss program within the previous 6 months,
- inability to provide informed assent,
- no parent/guardian consent,
- insufficient reading ability to comprehend the self-administered assessment
instruments (approximately 5th grade reading level).
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