A One-Day ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Eating Behavior
Emotional Eating

Interventions: Behavioral: ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating

Registration Number: NCT03744780

Lead Sponsor: McGill University

Brief Summary: Emotional eating is a behaviour that has been linked to weight concerns, mental health concerns, and disordered eating. Effective interventions have been developed to treat emotional eating, however these exist solely in the context of promoting weight loss. Emotional eating is not exclusive to those who struggle with weight and thus interventions are needed that target those who engage in emotional eating regardless of their weight status. The present study aims to do so through the implementation of a one day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop for emotional eaters.

Detailed Description: Emotional eating is defined as increased food consumption in response to negative emotions, and has been linked to weight concerns, mental health concerns, and disordered eating behaviours. Effective interventions have been developed that address emotional eating, namely to improve weight loss. Such interventions are based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which encourages tolerance of internal cues, such as emotions, and external cues, such as food.

Emotional eating, however, is not exclusive to those who struggle with their weight. Many individuals maintain a normal weight despite engaging in emotional eating. These individuals still consume an excess of high calorie (for which they somehow eventually compensate), high fat, and high sugar foods as part of their emotional eating. Unhealthy dietary habits such as these have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, as well as health concerns including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Individuals with normal weight are not eligible for ACT programs described above, despite the increased risk of health concerns associated with emotional eating.

The present study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a one-day ACT workshop to reduce emotional eating and improve health that is not focused on weight loss as its primary outcome, and rather targets all individuals who engage in emotional eating.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 32

Inclusion Criteria

Engaging in emotional eating as per a DEBQ-EE score of 3.25 or higher
Being over the age of 18

Exclusion Criteria

Not meeting the DEBQ-EE 3.25 or higher inclusion criteria
Being under the age of 18

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating	ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating	All participants will be assigned to a one-day intervention using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques to help reduce emotional eating.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Emotional Eating - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Emotional eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Emotional Eating Subscale (DEBQ-EE). Participants are asked to rate the frequency with which they engage in particular eating behaviours, on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale from never (1) to very often (5), with higher scores reflecting higher emotional eating. Only the emotional eating subscale of the DEBQ will be assessed and is calculated by averaging the 13 items that assess emotional eating.
Emotional Eating - 3-months Post-Intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Emotional eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Emotional Eating Subscale (DEBQ-EE). Participants are asked to rate the frequency with which they engage in particular eating behaviours, on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale from never (1) to very often (5), with higher scores reflecting higher emotional eating. Only the emotional eating subscale of the DEBQ will be assessed and is calculated by averaging the 13 items that assess emotional eating.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Food Craving Acceptance and Action - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Food craving acceptance and action, as assessed by the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ). Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type rating scale from 1 (very seldom true) to 6 (always true), with higher scores reflecting higher acceptance. Total score is derived by summing all items. Minimum score is 10 and maximum score is 60.
Mindful Eating - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Mindful eating, as assessed by the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). It is a 28-item self-report measure that assesses five domains of mindful eating: disinhibition, external cues, awareness, emotional response and distraction. Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which extent they agree with each item from 1 ("never" / "rarely") to 4 ("usually"/ "always"), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of mindful eating. Total score is derived by taking the mean of the five subscales.
ACT Values Application - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Application of ACT values techniques taught during the workshop, as assessed by items developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with a number of value-based statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Values score was derived by taking the mean of the items, with higher scores reflecting greater value-consistent eating behaviors.
Distress Tolerance - 2-weeks Post-Intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Distress tolerance, as assessed by the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements aimed at assessing distress tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), with lower scores reflecting lower distress tolerance. Subscale scores are derived by calculating the means of the items that make up each subscale. Total score is calculating by averaging the four subscales.
ACT Values Application - 3-months Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Application of ACT values techniques taught during the workshop, as assessed by items developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with a number of value-based statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Values score was derived by taking the mean of the items, with higher scores reflecting greater value-consistent eating behaviors.
Ability to Stop Emotional Eating - 3-months Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	As assessed by a single self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of instances in which they began to engage in emotional eating and were able to stop themselves, on a scale from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (very often).
Distress Tolerance - 3-months Post-Intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Distress tolerance, as assessed by the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements aimed at assessing distress tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), with lower scores reflecting lower distress tolerance. Subscale scores are derived by calculating the means of the items that make up each subscale. Total score is calculating by averaging the four subscales.
Mindful Eating - 3-months Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Mindful eating, as assessed by the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). It is a 28-item self-report measure that assesses five domains of mindful eating: disinhibition, external cues, awareness, emotional response and distraction. Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which extent they agree with each item from 1 ("never" / "rarely") to 4 ("usually"/ "always"), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of mindful eating. Total score is derived by taking the mean of the five subscales.
Emotional Eating Frequency - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	As assessed by a self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of times they engaged in emotional eating in the past week.
Food Craving Acceptance and Action - 3-months Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	Food craving acceptance and action, as assessed by the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ). Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type rating scale from 1 (very seldom true) to 6 (always true), with higher scores reflecting higher acceptance. Total score is derived by summing all items. Minimum score is 10 and maximum score is 60.
Emotional Eating Frequency - 3-months Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	As assessed by a self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of times they engaged in emotional eating in the past week.
Ability to Stop Emotional Eating - 2-weeks Post-intervention	Assessed from baseline to 2-weeks post-intervention and 3-months post-intervention	As assessed by a single self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of instances in which they began to engage in emotional eating and were able to stop themselves, on a scale from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (very often).
Feasibility Data: Recruitment, Eligibility, Attendance, and Attrition Rates	Assessed throughout the duration of the study from the recruitment period to the completion of the workshops and follow-up questionnaires (i.e., over a 3-month period).	These include recruitment, eligibility, attendance, and attrition rates