Avoid and Resist Strategies for Weight Management

Evaluating Environmental Control (AVOID) and Inhibitory Control (RESIST) Strategies to Improve Weight Management Outcomes

University of California, Riverside, Weight Watchers International, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The proposed randomized controlled trial tests two self-regulatory approaches to improve intentional weight loss and diet quality in individuals with overweight or obesity: (1) an environmental control strategy (AVOID) and (2) an impulse control training strategy (RESIST).

Evidence-based weight management programs are effective when individuals are able to consistently adhere to recommendations. However, a large proportion of treatment-seeking individuals do not experience clinically significant weight loss. Innovative strategies are needed to optimize behavior change in weight management interventions. The proposed randomized controlled trial tests two self-regulatory approaches to improve intentional weight loss and diet quality in individuals with overweight or obesity: (1) an environmental control strategy (AVOID) and (2) an impulse control training strategy (RESIST). Specifically, 500 women and men (BMI between 25-40 kg/m2) will be recruited from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center network of hospitals and clinics. All participants will be enrolled in a 12-month weight-management program (WW, formerly Weight Watchers©) focusing on diet, physical activity and mindset skills, and randomized to one of four study arms: (1) WW only, (2) WW + modification of home food environment and online grocery delivery (AVOID), (3) WW + gamified inhibitory control training (RESIST), (4) WW + AVOID + RESIST. Baseline, 6- and 12-month assessments will be completed by experienced, English and Spanish speaking study staff. Aim 1 (Outcomes). (a) Tests how AVOID and RESIST affect weight loss and waist circumference (primary) and diet quality (secondary). H1a: AVOID and/or RESIST (arms 2, 3, 4) will result in greater weight loss at 6-month and 12-month timepoints compared to WW alone. (b) Tests potential ripple effects of AVOID and RESIST on available household members' diet quality (primary) and weight (secondary). H1b: The investigators predict that AVOID (arms 2 and 4) will produce greater dietary changes in household members than WW alone and RESIST (arms 1 and 3). Aim 2 (Mechanisms). Tests the mechanistic pathways of AVOID and RESIST by (a) comparing longitudinal changes in inhibitory control and home food environment across study arms; and (b) whether inhibitory control and the home food environment mediate the relationships between study arms and anthropometric and dietary outcomes. H2: AVOID will produce changes in the home food environment and RESIST will operate on inhibitory control. Aim 3 (Moderators). Examines how (a) individual characteristics (age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, household composition, physical activity, baseline BMI and executive functioning), and (b) process data (frequency of grocery delivery, dining out and take out, impulse control training and WW app use) moderate the relationship between study arms and anthropometric and dietary outcomes. These considerations are important to help explain heterogeneity in intervention outcomes and to understand who benefits from AVOID and/or RESIST.

WW is commercially-available weight management program focusing on diet, physical activity and mindset skills.

WW + modification of home food environment + online grocery shopping and delivery + daily gamified inhibitory control training

Participants (Arms 2 & 4) will receive 6 months of coaching (Zoom and/or email/text) to modify their home food environment and alter cues to promote healthy food choices

Participants assigned to RESIST (Arms 3 & 4) will receive 6 months of coaching (Zoom and/or email/text) and gamified inhibitory control training.

Participants assigned to all arms will receive 6 months of coaching (Zoom and/or email/text) and commercially-available weight management program focusing on diet, physical activity and mindset skills.

BMI will be calculated by aggregating participants' self-reported height in meters and weight in kilograms at baseline, 6- and 12-months.

Gold standard interviewer-administered, multi-pass 24h-recalls (2 weekdays, 1 weekend day) will be used to measure diet quality. The Nutrition Data System for Research software (Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota) is used to analyze the data. Investigators will use the 24h-recalls to assess changes in participants and household members' overall diet quality, based on adherence to the dietary guidelines for fruits and vegetables, servings of whole grains, red/processed meat, alcoholic beverages and food/beverages with added sugars.

Participants will self-report the availability of fruits and vegetables, servings of whole grains, red/processed meat, alcoholic beverages and food/beverages with added sugars in participants' homes. Responses will be scored as availability of healthy foods and beverages (e.g., fruits and vegetables), and availability of less healthy foods and beverages (e.g., processed meat, food/beverages with added sugars).

Participants have 1000ms to identify which direction a central arrow is pointing. Participants complete 64 congruent and incongruent randomly mixed trials. In congruent trials flanking stimuli points in the same direction as the central stimulus while in incongruent trials flanking stimuli points in the opposite direction.

Participants respond to a target shape (e.g. a white five-pointed star) and withhold a response from non-target shapes. In 20% of presented trials an inhibitory response will be required.

Participants categorize colored shapes by color or shape in three blocks. In the first two blocks, participants categorize shapes for 20 trials. In the third block, the categorization rules are randomly interleaved, and participants switch between rules. Participants have 1500ms to identify the stimulus and complete 96 trials with a 25% chance of rule-switching.

Participants will complete a questionnaire surveying: date of birth, sex, socioeconomic status (education level, household income, marital status, employment status), household composition (multigenerational, single, married, cohabitating, children) and race/ethnicity.

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function®- Adult Version (BRIEF-A) is a standardized measure of executive functions or self-regulation in everyday environment. The BRIEF-A assesses nine non-overlapping theoretically and empirically derived clinical scales: Inhibit, Self-Monitor, Plan/Organize, Shift, Initiate, Task Monitor, Emotional Control, Working Memory, and Organization of Materials. BRIEF-A is available in English and Spanish and can be computer-administered. Baseline score on the BRIEF will be tested as moderator of the relationships between study arms and outcomes.

Interactions such as tracked food, weight and activity in WW app will be passively recorded to operationalize engagement. A higher score indicates greater engagement.

Frequency of grocery delivery and dining out/take out will be recorded through participants' self-report of grocery delivery. Higher frequencies of grocery delivery indicates greater engagement.

Frequency/duration of gamified cognitive training will be passively recorded by the PolyRules! app. Greater frequency and duration indicate greater engagement.

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) will be used to assess activity in 5 domains: job-related; transportation; housework, house maintenance, and caring for family; recreation, sport, and leisure-time physical activity; and time spent sitting. Data conferred by the WW program will also be leveraged, as participants track their activity (type, duration and intensity) via the WW mobile app or online website. Investigators will examine how engagement in exercise and daily activities moderate the relationships between study arms and outcomes.

The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) will be used to assess participants' approach to food and eating along three dimensions: emotional, external and restricted eating. There is a high degree of stability for each of these three eating behavior scales. Items on the DEBQ range from 1 (never) to 5 (very often), with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of the eating behavior.

Inclusion Criteria (Main participants): Age 18 years or older BMI between 25-40 kg/m2 Read, write, and speak English with acceptable visual acuity Inclusion Criteria (Household participants): 14-years-old Parent consent for children <18-years-old Willingness to complete assessments / measurements Exclusion Criteria (Main participants): Currently enrolled in weight loss interventions or undergoing bariatric surgery Pregnant women Individuals for whom weight loss may be contraindicated (e.g., unstable coronary artery disease, end-stage disease, active cancer treatment, uncontrolled insulin-dependent diabetes, portal hypertension, drug/alcohol abuse) Individuals with severe cognitive delays or visual/hearing impairment Individuals who are unable or unwilling to complete the study assessments / measurements Exclusion Criteria (Household participants): ≤ 14-years-old Individuals who are unable or unwilling to complete the study assessments / measurements

Caceres NA, Yu Q, Capaldi J, Diniz MA, Raynor H, Foster GD, Seitz AR, Salvy SJ. Evaluating environmental and inhibitory control strategies to improve outcomes in a widely available weight loss program. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Aug;119:106844. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106844. Epub 2022 Jul 5.