Nondietary psychological app program leads to sustained weight loss due to trained physiological satiety perception.

Abstract

Obese people are mostly unable to maintain successful weight loss after the end of a dietary change. One reason is that conventional weight reduction concepts neglect physiological hunger and satiety perception, leading to a relapse to previous eating habits on the long run. We examined the long-term efficacy of a psychological smartphone weight loss program, which avoids any dietary instructions and aims at relearning of satiety perception. Parameters of body weight alterations and psychological features, for example, satiety perception, food cravings, and emotional eating, were explored in a nonrandomized experimental study comprising 75 obese participants. Measurements occurred at baseline, two times during program application, as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Participants displayed significant weight loss during the entire study period (p = .029) and showed an improved body composition at the 6-month follow-up (p = .018). These effects were associated with increased satiety perception, as well as reduced food cravings, and emotional eating habits. Notably, all improvements in measured parameters significantly sustained between the end of the program and the 12-month follow-up (p < .005 for all). Psychological relearning of satiety perception may outclass dietary approaches in terms of long-term efficiency.