Oregon Research Institute

Effectiveness Trial of a Dissonance Based Obesity Prevention Program

This research study, which is based on a highly efficacious dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program, is the first translational project to use persuasion principles from social psychology for obesity prevention.

Details

Few obesity prevention programs have reduced risk for weight gain over follow-up and those that have are very intensive,  making widespread use difficult and costly. A brief 3-hr selective prevention program (Healthy Weight) involving participant-driven healthy dietary and physical activity lifestyle changes significantly reduced increases in BMI and obesity onset relative to alternative interventions and assessment only controls through 3-yr follow-up. The Healthy Weight program is for young adults with body dissatisfaction as this is a prevalent risk factor for obesity and such individuals are motivated to make healthy lifestyle changes. Healthy Weight's activities are designed to induce dissonance regarding unhealthy dietary and activity practices, drawing from a highly efficacious dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program.