Effect of a Group Intervention Program Based on Acceptance and Mindfulness on the Physical and Emotional Well-being of Overweight and Obese Individuals
The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of a 20-week group intervention program based on acceptance and mindfulness in emotional eating, weight loss, physiological parameters and the level of physical exercise, as well as in the quality-of-life and weight self-stigma of overweight and obese people on the short- and medium-term. Design, participants, and method: A randomized clinical trial comprising a total of 110 overweight or obese (BMI ? 25) participants that are receiving medical treatment at Primary Care Centers, 20-65 years, will be included and randomly assigned to standard program (N=55) or standard + intervention program (N=55). The standard program group will receive the treatment as usual (TAU) that comprises 5 sessions (on a monthly basis) that will include a personalized diet and physical exercise recommendations, while the standard + intervention program group will receive the same TAU plus the acceptance and mindfulness-based group intervention program. At baseline prior to randomization, after the intervention, and seven months after the program has finished anthropometric and body composition data, biochemical data in blood, waist circumference, blood pressure, eating habits, level of physical exercise, general health, emotional eating, quality-of-life, weight self-stigma, experiential avoidance, self-compassion level and mindfulness abilities will be evaluated. It is hypothesized that the integrated treatment of obesity implementing a group intervention program based on acceptance and mindfulness could help to reduce the emotional eating, enhance weight loss, improve physiological parameters, increase the level of physical exercise, improve the quality of life and reduce the weight self-stigma of overweight and obese individuals.
Start: November 2018