Relationships Between Dietary Intake and Weight-Related Experiential Avoidance Following Behavioral Weight-Loss Treatment.

Background: Interventions targeting weight-related experiential avoidance (EA) and disinhibited eating (DE) may also improve diet quality. Participants with overweight/obesity and DE who recently completed a behavioral weight-loss program were randomized to receive acceptance and commitment therapy or continued behavioral weight-loss treatment. In this secondary analysis, we explored (1) change in diet quality from baseline to 6-month follow-up (FU) and (2) whether weight-related EA at baseline and (3) change in weight-related EA during treatment were related to change in diet quality from baseline to FU.

Promotion of physical activity during weight loss maintenance: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs are not sufficiently effective at promoting high levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), despite the clear health benefits of exercise and the possibility that high levels of MVPA may improve long-term weight loss. This three-arm randomized controlled trial tested the hypotheses that 1) BWL interventions with an intensive focus on exercise would result in higher amounts of MVPA and greater long-term weight loss, compared to standard BWL, and 2) among interventions with an intensive focus on exercise, outcomes would be superior when skills for exercise promotion were taught from an acceptance-based theoretical framework (which fosters willingness to accept discomfort in the service of valued behaviors), versus a traditional behavioral approach.

Method: Three hundred and twenty adults with overweight/obesity received group-based BWL for induction of weight loss (Months 1-6) and were randomized to receive one of three interventions for weight loss maintenance (Months 7-18): continued standard behavioral treatment (BT), behavioral treatment with an emphasis on exercise (BT + PA), or acceptance-based treatment with an emphasis on exercise (ABT + PA).

Depressive symptoms, psychological flexibility, and binge eating in individuals seeking behavioral weight loss treatment.

Depressive symptoms and binge eating are both prevalent in weight management populations and may be associated with reduced benefit from behavioral weight loss, including higher attrition, more perceived barriers, lower weight loss, and increased weight regain. These two potential risk factors for poor behavioral weight loss outcomes may also be associated with each other as depressive symptoms may trigger binge eating, and binge eating-related distress could increase depressive symptoms. The depressive symptom-binge eating link has not been well studied in weight management samples, and psychological processes involved in this relationship have not yet been elucidated.

Digital self-monitoring: Does adherence or association with outcomes differ by self-monitoring target?

Objective: Digital self-monitoring of eating, physical activity, and weight is increasingly prescribed in behavioural weight loss programmes. This study determined if adherence rates or associations with outcomes differed according to self-monitoring target (ie, self-monitoring of eating versus physical activity versus weight).

Methods: Participants in a 3-month, group-based weight loss programme were instructed to use an app to record food intake, wear a physical activity sensor, and use a wireless body weight scale.

Physical discomfort intolerance as a predictor of weight loss and physical activity in a lifestyle modification program.

This study examined physical discomfort intolerance (DI) as a baseline predictor of weight loss and physical activity outcomes, and assessed whether changes in DI during the initial phase of weight loss prospectively predicted long-term treatment outcomes among adults enrolled in a group-based lifestyle modification program for obesity. DI was measured at baseline and 6 months, and weight and accelerometer-measured physical activity were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Baseline DI was not related to weight loss or physical activity at either timepoint.

Stigmatizing weight experiences in health care: Associations with BMI and eating behaviours.

Introduction: Individuals with overweight or obesity often experience stigmatizing weight-related interactions in health care, though how these experiences are associated with body mass index (BMI) and eating behaviour is unknown. This study had three aims: (a) characterize types and frequency of stigmatizing health care experiences, (b) assess relationships among BMI, eating behaviour, and stigmatizing experiences, and (c) examine whether internalized weight stigma mediates the relationship between stigmatizing experiences, weight, and eating behaviour.

Methods: Adults (N = 85) enrolled in behavioural weight loss completed measures of stigmatizing health care experiences, weight bias internalization, eating behaviours, and BMI.

Improvement in 6-min Walk Test Distance Following Treatment for Behavioral Weight Loss and Disinhibited Eating: an Exploratory Secondary Analysis.

Background: Poor functional exercise capacity is common among those with obesity; however, objective measures of exercise capacity are rarely examined in behavioral treatments targeting obese individuals. We examined whether a 4-week acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention for disinhibited eating or a behavioral weight loss (BWL) intervention improved exercise capacity and explored demographic and disinhibited eating variables related to exercise capacity.

Methods: Veterans (n = 61), randomized to receive ACT or BWL, completed an assessment of exercise capacity via the 6-min walk test (6MWT) at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

Dietary restraint and weight loss in relation to disinhibited eating in obese Veterans following a behavioral weight loss intervention.

Ability to restrain one's dietary intake is a necessary skill for weight loss. However, dietary restraint has been shown to paradoxically increase disinhibited eating in certain populations, thereby negatively impacting weight loss and leading to worse overall health outcomes. The aim of this study was to address gaps in the literature regarding the relationships between separate facets of dietary restraint (intention; behavior) with weight loss and various types of disinhibited eating (binge eating, external eating, emotional eating) in overweight and obese adults who recently completed a weight loss intervention.

Self-report versus objective measurement of weight history: implications for pre-treatment weight gain.

There is increasing concern that patients gain considerable weight in the year prior to treatment and that outcomes may not reflect true treatment losses. To date, we know little about the accuracy of self-reported weight change prior to treatment. To investigate weight gain, and accuracy of self-reported recent weight history, Veterans (n = 126) reported their current weight and one-year weight history prior to entering treatment.

Physical Activity Intentions and Behavior Mediate Treatment Response in an Acceptance-Based Weight Loss Intervention.

Background: Acceptance-based treatment (ABT) for weight loss has shown promise for improving outcomes relative to standard behavioral treatment (SBT). One way in which ABT may improve outcomes is through increasing physical activity (PA) intentions and behavior but little research has examined these as mediators of ABT on weight change.

Purpose: This study sought to examine ABT's effects on intentions for PA and several objectively measured PA variables during treatment and analyze PA intentions and behaviors as mediators of ABT's effect on weight loss.

Change in Domain-specific but not General Psychological Flexibility Relates to Greater Weight Loss in Acceptance-Based Behavioral Treatment for Obesity.

Acceptance-based approaches have demonstrated promise for improving outcomes in behavioral treatments for obesity, but few studies have examined processes of change in these treatments. It is critical to identify mechanisms of action in treatment to further optimize this approach, refine theory, and inform future research. This study examined change in several domain-specific and general measures of psychological flexibility in a randomized controlled trial of an acceptance-based behavioral weight loss treatment.

Heart rate variability and emotion regulation among individuals with obesity and loss of control eating.

Autonomic nervous system functioning, measured with heart rate variability (HRV), is associated with emotion regulation and likely contributes to binge eating. This study examined the link between HRV and binge eating severity and analyzed changes in HRV as a marker of emotion regulation in individuals with binge eating. Participants (n = 28) with obesity and loss of control eating reported overeating and loss of control episodes and completed an HRV assessment at rest and during a mental stressor.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Exploratory Outcomes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Binge Eating Symptoms in Veterans: A Preliminary Clinic-Based Study.

Overweight and obesity are disabling problems for veterans and place a heavy toll on their physical and mental health. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an empirically supported intervention that shows promise in improving binge eating, weight, and psychological functioning. This preliminary study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week ACT group intervention for binge eating in veterans ( = 85) who were overweight or obese and explored preliminary intervention effects on binge eating and physical and mental health functioning.

Just-in-time adaptive interventions: A novel approach for enhancing skill utilization and acquisition in cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders.

The most widely researched treatment for bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED) is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a present-focused, active, skill-oriented treatment. However, despite the success of CBT, many patients fail to achieve sufficient rates of skill utilization (i.e.

Pain and modifiable risk factors among weight loss seeking Veterans with overweight.

Objective: Overweight/obesity and chronic pain frequently co-occur and demonstrate a bidirectional relationship. Modifiable risk factors, such as eating behaviors and mental health symptoms, may be important to understand this relationship and improve interventions in Veterans.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Combat exposure and pain in male and female Afghanistan and Iraq veterans: The role of mediators and moderators.

Veterans experience physical health problems associated with disability and poor quality of life following combat exposure (CE). Understanding the CE-physical health relationship, specifically pain intensity and somatic pain, may inform etiological models and interventions. This study examined the CE-pain relationship, associated mediators, and gender as a moderator.

The many wounds of war: The association of service-related and clinical characteristics with problems with the law in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Previous research has demonstrated that veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at higher risk for aggression, hostility, and anger, potentially leading to problems with the law or disciplinary action while in the military. There have been calls for increased consideration of the unique aspects of the judicial system in legal matters with veterans involved. The bulk of the research so far has considered the link between PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and combat exposure, but little is known about the potential role of chronic pain and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) in a veteran's experience of anger, aggression, and discipline while in the military and legal concerns.

Dexamethasone-suppressed Salivary Cortisol and Pain Sensitivity in Female Twins.

Objectives: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation is associated with chronic pain. Studying pain sensitivity and the HPA axis could elucidate the role of stress in chronic pain development, which might be influenced by familial factors, including genes.

Methods: Associations between pain sensitivity and salivary cortisol and familial confounding in these associations were examined in 88 female, community-based twin pairs (75% monozygotic, mean age 29 y).

Walking a mile in another's shoes: The impact of wearing an Age Suit.

The "Age Suit" described in this article was developed to enable future designers, business leaders, and engineers to experience navigating the world as many older adults must. Tools such as this Age Suit offer the opportunity to "walk a mile" in another's shoes to develop empathy that can result in better design of spaces, goods, and services to meet the needs of a rapidly growing older population. This work first examined, through a series of clinical tests, whether younger adults' physical capacities were reduced in a direction consistent with aging by wearing a suit developed by the MIT AgeLab.

Associations of military sexual trauma, combat exposure, and number of deployments with physical and mental health indicators in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Trauma exposure (TE) and numerous deployments have been associated with negative health outcomes in veterans, many of whom have military sexual trauma (MST) and combat exposure (CE). The aims of this study were to examine the relationships between physical and mental health symptoms with MST and CE and number of deployments. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System completed self-report measures for MST, CE, number of deployments, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression symptoms, alcohol use, somatic symptoms, health functioning, and body mass index (BMI).

Familial Contributions to Self-Reported Sleep and Pain in Female Twins.

Objective: The relationship between sleep quality and pain has been studied in populations with chronic pain and in nonclinical populations using experimental paradigms. Little is known about the familial contributions to this relationship. This study examines self-reported sleep quality and pain in a nonclinical sample and to explore familial (i.

Hookah Use Predicts Cigarette Smoking Progression Among College Smokers.

Introduction: Hookah use is increasingly common among U.S. college students, but little is known regarding the relationship between hookah and cigarette use.

Pain sensitivity in posttraumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders: a preliminary case control study.

Background: Despite substantial research on the comorbidity of anxiety disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these conditions that might be potentially similar. Evoked pain sensitivity is one factor that has been associated with several pain conditions which might also have relevance to anxiety disorders and PTSD. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine evoked pain sensitivity in PTSD compared to other anxiety disorders and in control participants.

Mindfulness-based interventions for binge eating: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly used to treat binge eating. The effects of these interventions have not been reviewed comprehensively. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to summarize the literature on mindfulness-based interventions and determine their impact on binge eating behavior.