Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few prior interventions for obesity have focused on reward-related eating. Researchers developed a mobile health mindfulness-based intervention, Eat Right Now (ERN), for improving reward related eating; ERN has not yet been feasibility tested as a weight loss intervention. OBJECTIVE: To obtain 6-month pilot and feasibility data in patients using the ERN intervention alone or with asynchronous coaching. METHODS: A 6-month, two-arm pilot and feasibility randomized trial was conducted involving 20 adults with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) recruited from Kaiser Permanente Washington. Participants were randomized to ERN alone or ERN plus individualized coaching. Weight loss was assessed via a Wi-Fi-enabled digital scale. RESULTS: Among the 20 randomized participants, 17 (85%) started the intervention and remained enrolled in six months. Among these, 82% (14/17) had weight data captured by a Wi-Fi scale and 70.5% (12/17) completed follow-up questionnaires at the 6-month time point. The coached ERN participants had 4.3% weight loss (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.3%, 6.3%) and uncoached participants had 3.6% weight loss (95% CI: 1.2%, 5.9%). Participants in both approaches reported reductions in reward-related eating. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot randomized trial of ERN demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention for the majority of both the coached and uncoached groups. Further efforts are needed to ensure high retention and data capture in future studies.