Assessment of and Treatment Applied to Food Addiction in a Rural Healthy Behaviors Clinic
Status:
Active, not recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Research purpose: The purpose of this pilot study is to assess obese clients for two
phenotypes, those testing positive and those testing negative for Food Addiction (FA) (Yale
Food Addiction Scale, YFAS) and determining the efficacy of four treatments: usual care (IC,
dietary and physical activity instruction), individual motivational interviewing alone (MI),
individual MI with pharmacotherapy (MI+P) for improving outcome measures within each
phenotype, and pharmacological therapy (P).
Background/significance: Obesity has long been an epidemic in the U.S. and other countries.
Numerous approaches have been tried to address obesity with limited success. The YFAS is a
relatively new, validated instrument that can help researchers and practitioners assess obese
clients for food addiction. Meeting the YFAS diagnosis criteria for FA suggests the need for
a stronger intervention with close monitoring to assist these clients in self-management of
their eating and physical activity behaviors.
Proposed methods/approach: The investigators propose assessing obese clients with the YFAS as
part of their intake once they are referred to the Healthy Behaviors Clinic by Regional West
physicians/practitioners. A nurse researcher with expertise in MI and a nurse practitioner
will perform intake assessments, obtain consent and randomly assign participants in each
phenotype (positive or negative for FA) to one of three treatment groups (usual care,
individual MI alone, and individual MI with pharmacotherapy). Interventions will occur over 6
months. A clinical psychologist with expertise in the YFAS (University of Michigan) will
serve as a consultant on this project and a registered dietitian (University of
NebraskaLincoln) will serve as a co-investigator.
Expected outcomes: The investigators expect that MI and MI+P and P will be more effective in
improving outcome measures than IC. We also expect that response to the treatments will
differ between the two obesity phenotypes (those testing positive and those testing negative
for FA).
Phase:
Phase 4
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Nebraska
Treatments:
Bupropion Bupropion hydrochloride, naltrexone hydrochoride drug combination Naltrexone