An addiction-based mobile health weight loss intervention: protocol of a randomized controlled trial.
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BACKGROUND The notion of obesity as an addictive process is controversial However studies show that between 5 9 and 30 7 of adolescents with obesity report food or eating addiction Few weight management interventions have tested techniques based on addiction medicine principles METHODS This multi center randomized control trial RCT is designed to test the effectiveness of a mobile health mHealth weight loss intervention based on addiction principles such as withdrawal and tolerance in a sample of 180 adolescents ages 14 18 recruited from four pediatric weight management clinics in Southern California Akin to a Multiphase Optimization Strategy MOST design evaluating multicomponent behavioral interventions we will compare the combination of an app phone coaching App Coach to app alone App and in clinic multi disciplinary Clinic intervention arms The primary outcome is mean change in zBMI and BMIp95 over 18 months We hypothesize that youth who receive App Coach will have a greater reduction in body weight over the 18 month study period at a lower cost than standard of care models Secondary outcomes include adherence to treatment regimen intervention satisfaction effect of the intervention on metabolic factors and activity level We will also explore potential moderators of intervention effectiveness such as addictive eating habits self regulation and executive functioning CONCLUSIONS New and creative approaches are needed to address pediatric obesity If successful this RCT may provide an innovative and cost effective mHealth approach based on addiction methods for weight loss among adolescents with overweight and obesity