Project EAT: Eating and Attitudes in Teens

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Research suggests there is a connection between mood and weight. People who feel stressed or depressed are more likely to be overweight than people who don't have these feelings. Some individuals turn to food to cope, which can lead to gaining too much weight over time. Adolescence is an important time to understand these connections. Patterns of handling stress learned during adolescence set the stage for stress management in adulthood. This study is a randomized controlled pilot study with 60 adolescents who are at-risk for future, chronic obesity. The investigators will test if taking part in a 6-week group program to lower stress and improve mood will be helpful to teens at-risk.

Official Title
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Project EAT: Eating and Attitudes in Teens

Conditions
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Obesity, Adolescent Development, Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Learning to Breathe
* Behavioral: Health Education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age 12-17 years At-risk for long-term obesity by virtue of current BMI (≥70th percentile for age and sex) or obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) in both biological parents Good general health Exclusion Criteria: Current full-syndrome psychiatric disorder that in the investigators' opinion would impede study compliance Major medical problem such as type 2 diabetes Use of medication affecting mood or body weight such as stimulants or anti-depressants Any medical issues that could be acutely worsened by exercise such as asthma or musculoskeletal problems. Pregnancy in females

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 12 Years
Maximum Age: 17 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: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Learning to Breathe<br>Six-week mindfulness-based group program for adolescents | Behavioral: Learning to Breathe<br>* Six-session group program that involves meditation and interactive activities to learn mindfulness skills for coping with stress<br>|
| Active Comparator: Health Education<br>Six-week health education group program for adolescents | Behavioral: Health Education<br>* Six-session group program that covers topics important for healthy living such as avoiding drug use, conflict resolution, bullying, sun safety and others<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feasibility of study | Rate of recruitment of eligible adolescent volunteers | 3 years | 
| Acceptability of program | Session attendance determined as percentage of total sessions (6) attended | 6 weeks | 
| Acceptability of study participation | Post-intervention acceptability ratings | 6 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perceived stress | Changes in perceived stress as assessed by the 10-item version Perceived Stress Scale total score, computed as the sum of all items (range 0-40) with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress | 6 months | 
| Executive function | Executive function assessed with the parent version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Everyday Executive Function, with 8 subscales computed as the sum of their respected items, including inhibit (range 0-20), shift (range 0-16), emotional control (range 0-20), initiate (range 0-16), working memory (range 0-20), planning/organization (range 0-24), organization of materials (range 0-12), and monitor (range 0-16). Higher scores reflect more problematic executive dysfunction | 6 months | 
| Food reward sensitivity | Relative reinforcing value of food assessed with behavioral task, with the outcome being the shift point when individuals shift from choosing a palatable food reward to an alternative reward (range 20-240) with higher scores reflecting greater sensitivity to food as a reward | 6 months | 
| Meal intake | Measured laboratory test meal intake | 6 months | 
| Weight gain | Gain in BMI (kg/m2) units | 6 months | 
| Fat gain | Gain in body fat mass as measured by air displacement plethysmography | 6 months |