RELAX: A Mobile Application Suite Targeting Obesity and Stress
Condition: Stress; Weight
MeSH terms: Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This research is being done is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a novel
      weight loss mobile app that was designed to be less burdensome than traditional weight loss
      apps.
    

Detailed description: 
      Obesity and stress are highly comorbid and both increase risk for cardiovascular disease
      (CVD). Stress is associated with disinhibited eating, junk food consumption and low
      consumption of produce and whole grains. Both stress and stress-induced eating are not only
      associated with obesity but also predict worst outcomes in lifestyle interventions. Stress
      and stress-induced eating should be targeted in interventions to maximize weight loss;
      however, this makes for a very intensive intervention. Technology could be leveraged to
      reduce intervention burden.

      In this trial investigators propose to compare the feasibility, usability, acceptability, and
      burden of an traditional weight loss app that includes diet and physical activity
      self-monitoring features to an app (Slip Buddy) we developed that focuses on self-monitoring
      of stress eating. With Slip Buddy, the user is just asked to track overeating episodes,
      indicating when they are triggered by stress. The majority of weight loss apps are burdensome
      to users by requiring them to self-monitor diet and exercise. They also ignore major barriers
      to weight loss, such as stress. This work moves the field forward by addressing user burden
      and an important barrier to weight loss.
    

Intervention name(s): Comprehensive Dietary Self-Monitoring; Device: smartphone; Other: physical activity; Simple Dietary Self-Monitoring; Device: smartphone; Other: physical activity
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The intervention includes Facebook-delivered weight loss counseling and the use of MyFitnessPal, a comprehensive diet and exercise self-monitoring app. The intervention will last for 12 weeks. In addition to weight loss counseling in a private Facebook group, participants will be encouraged to use the self-monitoring app to enter everything they eat and do for exercise during the intervention period (12 weeks). Participants will receive a daily calorie goal directly from the app. Participants will receive a Fitbit scale to take their weight weekly and at assessments.; Arm: Active Comparator: Simple Dietary Self-Monitoring he intervention includes Facebook-delivered weight loss counseling and the use of Slip Buddy, an app created by the investigative team that only requires users to record instances of overeating by hitting a single button and then indicate the overeating trigger and stress and hunger levels. The intervention will last for 12 weeks. In addition to the weight loss counseling, participants will be asked to use the Slip Buddy app during the intervention period (12 weeks). Participants will receive a Fitbit scale to take their weight weekly and at assessments.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment