EFFECTIVENESS OF A PSYCHO-EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH EXOGENOUS OBESITY: DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Obesity is a substantial public health problem worldwide. Food restriction methods are generally advised as a remedy, but their effect remains limited if the negative behavioral patterns that cause obesity are not changed. The present study aimed to develop an intervention program, in line with The Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials (ORBIT) model for behavioral treatment development, to alter the negative eating behaviors (such as emotional eating, impulsive eating, and automatic eating) in adolescents with obesity and increase their subjective well-being. The investigation was based on a single-group pretest-posttest repeated measures design used to evaluate the changes in emotion regulation skills, subjective well-being, and body mass index (BMI). Participants in the intervention program consisted of 11 adolescents aged 15-16 years with a BMI ≥95th percentile (female=6; 54%, and male=5; 46%) and underwent a 15-week psycho-education program. The pilot study results showed that 88% of the participants completed the program with decreased emotion regulation difficulties and a significant increase in subjective well-being. Besides, BMI values showed a remarkable decrease concerning pretest and post-test values. Overall, the proposed psycho-education program can be considered applicable and effective against adolescent obesity, promising practical usability as an innovative and comprehensive approach to tackle the prominent health issue. Further studies with large samples are recommended to affirm the current results.