Attentive Eating for Weight Loss

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This trial examined whether a smartphone application designed to encourage a more attentive eating style could help people to lose weight, compared to a control group.

Detailed Description
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There is evidence that enhancing memory for recent eating and focusing attention on food being consumed influences later energy intake. Studies have shown that attending to food being eaten can reduce food intake. This has since been implemented into a smartphone based 'attentive eating' application. In a feasibility trial of this mobile phone application, adults with overweight or obesity were encouraged to eat attentively by photographing their meals and making satiety ratings after they had eaten. Participants were also required to review what else they had eaten that day before entering their next meal, with an overall aim of encouraging a more attentive eating style. Adherence data and qualitative interviews suggested that the mobile phone app was generally acceptable to participants and easy to use. Participants reported that they felt the application increased their awareness of what they had been eating. There was also an average weight loss of 1.5kg across the 4 week period that participants used the application for. Given that the previous feasibility trial included no control condition, the aim of the current trial was to examine initial proof of concept for effectiveness of an attentive eating smartphone weight loss application. In the current study the investigators hypothesised that participants randomised to the attentive eating smartphone based condition (experimental condition) would lose significantly more weight than participants randomised to the control condition. The study is a single centre, parallel, two arm, individually randomised 8 week controlled trial in adults with overweight and obesity in the Merseyside area of England.

Official Title
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Attentive Eating for Weight Loss: Proof of Concept Non-blinded Randomised Control Trial

Conditions
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Overweight and Obesity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Attentive eating smartphone application.
* Behavioral: Standard dietary advice and text tips.


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 Self-report would like to lose weight by changing their dietary behaviour 18-65 years Fluent English Own an Android/Apple smartphone Exclusion Criteria: History of eating disorders or food allergies Medication that affects appetite Pregnant Scheduled for weight loss survey during the trial Currently on a structured weight loss programme (e.g. Weight Watchers)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: attentive eating smartphone app group<br>Participant's received the intervention 'Attentive eating smartphone application'. This is a smartphone application that encourages a more attentive eating style. Participants also received the 'Standard dietary advice and text tips' intervention. This consists of a standard dietary advice booklet, and weekly dietary advice tips by text message. | Behavioral: Attentive eating smartphone application.<br>* A smartphone application that encourages a more attentive eating style.<br>Behavioral: Standard dietary advice and text tips.<br>* Standard dietary advice for weight loss booklet and weekly text tips containing dietary advice.<br>|
| Active Comparator: control group<br>Participants received the 'Standard dietary advice and text tips' intervention. This consists of a standard dietary advice booklet, and weekly dietary advice tips by text message. | Behavioral: Standard dietary advice and text tips.<br>* Standard dietary advice for weight loss booklet and weekly text tips containing dietary advice.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight at 8 weeks. | Weight (kg) measured using Tanita Body composition scales. A lower body weight is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 8 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Self-reported energy intake at 4 weeks. | Energy intake (kcal) measured via 24HR recall. Lower energy intake is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 4 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Self-reported energy intake at 8 weeks. | Energy intake (kcal) measured via 24HR recall. Lower energy intake is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 8 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Objective laboratory measured energy intake at 4 weeks. | Energy intake (kcal) measured with a bogus taste-test task. Lower energy intake is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 4 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Objective laboratory measured energy intake at 8 weeks. | Energy intake (kcal) measured with a bogus taste-test task. Lower energy intake is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 8 weeks from the start of the trial. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight at 4 weeks. | Weight (kg) measured using Tanita Body composition scales. A lower body weight is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 4 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Body fat percentage at 4 weeks. | Body fat percentage measured using Tanita Body composition scales. A lower body fat percentage is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 4 weeks from the start of the trial. | 
| Body fat percentage at 8 weeks. | Body fat percentage measured using Tanita Body composition scales. A lower body fat percentage is considered a better outcome. | Measured at 8 weeks from the start of the trial. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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attentive eating, e-health, weight loss, food intake