| Obesity and weight-related health problems represent an ever-growing global health crisis. Despite decades of ongoing study, few evidence-based intervention options exist for behavioral healthcare providers to treat this costly and medically complex condition. The current study explored the utility of an investigational acceptance-based behavioral intervention of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Thirty-six young adults were randomly assigned to the information control or experimental group intervention consisting of four, 90-minute sessions of ACT. Experimental group participants had significant improvements in weight-related psychological flexibility, which correlated with healthful changes in eating process behavior. This study supports previous literature in the utility of ACT for weight-related problems and extends findings by providing preliminary evidence for brief ACT interventions for managing weight in emerging adulthood. Future research is needed to determine the durability and generalizability of treatment effects. |
