Development and Evaluation of the “Eating More Consciously” Module of a Lifestyle Intervention Program to Prevent Medication-Induced Weight Gain in Psychiatric Patients: A One-Arm Pilot Study

Objective: Overweight and obesity are health issues that are increasing worldwide. Patients with severe mental illness are particularly vulnerable for various reasons, includ- ing the intake of weight gain-associated drugs. In this pilot study, we targeted eating behavior as a predictor for medication-induced weight gain and developed a module of a prevention program (“Eating More Consciously”) to be evaluated by psychiatric inpatients.

Methods: Thirty-three patients participated in a behaviorally oriented group therapy program with 2 modules of 120 minutes each and weekly follow-up measurements over 4 weeks. Measures included weight, laboratory parameters, the German versions of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (Fragebogen Essverhalten; FEV) and the Food Craving Inventory (FCI) as well as a questionnaire on the implementation of the strategies in every- day life.

Results: Thirty-three participants completed both modules and felt that they had bene- fited from the module “Eating More Consciously.” Fragebogen Essverhalten domain “cog- nitive restraint” scores increased significantly throughout the study (P = .039), and the FCI sum score decreased significantly (P = .003).

Conclusion: We propose that the “Eating More Consciously” module is a promising approach to behavioral intervention in weight management in patients with severe men- tal illness. Prospective randomized controlled studies with a larger sample and a longer follow-up are needed.

Cite this article as: Glocker C, Simon MS, Adler N, Eder J, Barton BB, Musil R. Development and evaluation of the “eating more consciously” module of a lifestyle intervention program to prevent medication-induced weight gain in psychiatric patients: A one-arm pilot study. Alpha Psychiatry. 2024;25(6):737-745.