A smartphone based attentive eating intervention for energy intake and weight loss: results from a randomised controlled trial.

Whitelock, Victoria and Robinson, Eric (2018) A smartphone based attentive eating intervention for energy intake and weight loss: results from a randomised controlled trial. [Data Collection]

External DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/btzhw

Description

Aims: Laboratory studies suggest that eating more ‘attentively’ (e.g. attending to food being eaten and recalling eating episodes) can reduce food intake. Here we report the first proof of concept trial to test whether a smartphone application that encourages a more attentive eating style is effective in reducing energy intake and promoting weight loss. Methods: In an open-label, single centre, parallel groups randomised controlled trial, adults (N = 107) with overweight/obesity in the Merseyside area of the UK were randomly allocated to use an attentive eating smartphone application (along with standard dietary advice, intervention group, n = 53), or standard dietary advice only (control group, n = 54) for 8 weeks. Assessments of body weight, body fat percentage, and self-reported and objectively measured energy intake, at baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks were the main outcomes. Additional outcomes included self-reported eating behaviour measures at 8 weeks. Results: Linear regression using multiple imputation for missing data (N = 107) showed that participants in the attentive eating intervention group did not lose significantly more weight, body fat or show a greater reduction in self-reported or objective energy intake than the control group at 4 or 8 weeks (effect on weight at 8 weeks; β = -.10, SE β = 0.74, CI -1.55 to 1.34, p = 0.89). Average weight loss at 8 weeks in the intervention group was 1.2 kg and 1.1 kg in the control group. Self-reported eating behaviour measures at 8 weeks also did not differ across groups. There was also no effect of intervention group on energy intake or weight loss when limiting analyses to participants that used the attentive eating smartphone application regularly and as intended. Conclusions: A smartphone based attentive eating intervention and standard dietary advice did not result in reduced energy intake or greater weight loss at 4 or 8 week follow-up than standard dietary advice alone.

Keywords: attentive eating, memory, weight, weight loss, food intake, memory for recent eating, focused attention
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User: Victoria Whitelock
Date Deposited: 06 Dec 2018 11:09
Last Modified: 06 Dec 2018 11:10
DOI: 10.17638/datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/512
DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/btzhw
URI: https://datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/512

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