Abstract
In the Middle East, the prevalence of overweight/obesity is 80%; however, no studies have yet tested the efficacy of interventions to promote weight loss. The aim of the present study was to test the ability of implementation intentions formed using a volitional help sheet to support weight loss among people who were overweight/obese. Participants (N = 216) enrolling in a weight loss program in Kuwait were randomly allocated either to form implementation intentions using a volitional help sheet (intervention group) or to use the volitional help sheet to think about critical situations and appropriate responses but not form implementation intentions (control group). The main outcome measure was weight at 6-month follow-up. Participants in the intervention condition lost significantly more weight (6.15 kg; −6.58% initial body weight) than those in the control condition (3.66 kg; −4.04% initial body weight), Mdiff = 2.55% initial body weight, SEdiff = .92, t(214) = 2.76, p = .006, 95%CI = .73, 4.36, d = .38. The present study is the first to show that implementation intentions work beyond a Western context and that the volitional help sheet could be used in a variety of cultural contexts to enhance weight-loss programs.
Highlights
In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight (>500 million obese) worldwide and the prevalence of adult obesity had doubled since 1980; the prevalence of overweight/obesity continues to rise (World Health Organisation 2013)
The present research was conducted in Kuwait, where 80% of adults are overweight (Al Rashdan and Al Nesef 2010; cf. 38% in England, see Eastwood 2011)
The present study was designed to test a very brief, theory-based psychological intervention—a volitional help sheet—to augment weight loss among people who were overweight/obese enrolled in a commercial weight loss program
Summary
In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight (>500 million obese) worldwide and the prevalence of adult obesity had doubled since 1980; the prevalence of overweight/obesity continues to rise (World Health Organisation 2013). The present study was designed to test a very brief, theory-based psychological intervention—a volitional help sheet—to augment weight loss among people who were overweight/obese enrolled in a commercial weight loss program. Among studies of implementation intention-based interventions to promote weight loss, effect sizes have ranged between d = .13 (Luszczynska et al 2007) and d = .66 (Armitage et al 2014). Armitage et al (2014) randomly allocated 72 overweight participants who were participating in a commercial weight-loss program in the UK to either an intervention (volitional help sheet) condition or a control (distracter task) condition. Armitage et al.’s (2014) study is the most exacting test of the volitional help sheet to date because it demonstrated impact over and above the effects of an ongoing commercial weight-loss program
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