Framing physical activity as a distinct and uniquely valuable behavior independent of weight management: a pilot randomized controlled trial for overweight and obese sedentary persons.
OBJECTIVE
Promoting benefits of physical activity independent of weight management may help overweight/obese persons.


METHODS
Pilot randomized-controlled-trial.


METHODS
Twenty-six sedentary, overweight/obese persons receiving health-care at Stanford Medical Center, no contraindications for exercise. CONTROL/INTERVENTION GROUPS: Usual medical care and community weight-management/fitness resources versus same plus a brief intervention derived from behavioral-economic and evolutionary psychological theory highlighting benefits of activity independent of weight-management.


METHODS
Intent-to-treat. Cohen's d effect-sizes and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for changes in moderate-intensity-equivalent physical activity/week, cardiorespiratory fitness, and depression at 3 months relative to baseline.


RESULTS
Intervention group participants demonstrated 3.76 hour/week of increased physical activity at study endpoint, controls only 0.7 hours/week (Cohen's d=0.74, 95% CI -0.06 to +1.5). They also improved cardiorespiratory fitness (Cohen's d=0.51, 95% CI -0.3 to +1.3) and reduced depression relative to controls (Cohen's d=0.66, 95% CI -0.1 to +1.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Promoting activity independent of weight-management appears promising for further study.
Mascola
A J
AJ
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5722, USA. amascola@stanford.edu
Yiaslas
T A
TA
Meir
R L
RL
McGee
S M
SM
Downing
N L
NL
Beaver
K M
KM
Crane
L B
LB
Agras
S
S
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects