Weight management and psychological flexibility

Raimo Lappalainen

Professor in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy

Department of Psychology

University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Behavioral case formulation and

motivation for change

Impaired Social

Relationships

Depressive mood

WeightProblems:overweight

Social SkillsDeficits

High Caloric Intake:

Family/Social Stressors:

Relationship with the spouse

LimitedExercise

SocialIsolation

Healthproblems

Worried about

the future

Loss ofworkplace

Negative self-image:Negative thoughts

Contextual analyses”weight in context”:

Get a larger picture over the weight management problem

Impaired Social

Relationships

Depressive mood

WeightProblems:overweight

Social SkillsDeficits

High Caloric Intake:

Family/Social Stressors:

Relationship with the spouse

LimitedExercise

SocialIsolation

Healthproblems

Worried about

the future

Loss ofworkplace

Negative self-image:Negative thoughts

Contextual analyses:

There might be other or additional alternatives for intervention

Consider weight or weight management problem

in context

Model

Case formulation

Motivational analyses

(values)

Individual activation for

change –

Longer lasting lifestyle

changes

Model

Case formulation

Motivational analyses

(values)

Individual activation for

change –

Longer lasting lifestyle

changes

Build individual reinforcersfor lifestylechanges

Psychological flexibility

Essi Sairanen, Raimo Lappalainen, Anja Lapveteläinen, Asko Tolvanen, & Leila Karhunen (2014). Flexibility in weight management. Eating Behaviors 15, 218–224

The aim was to achieve an understanding about the mechanism of change during weight maintenance, especially related to control and flexibility.

Results

These results suggest that an increase in flexible control during weight loss and a reduction of rigid control after an active weight loss phase may enhance well-being.

In other words, the ability to increase flexible control and ability to give up rigid control may be beneficial to weight management and well-being.

Different behavioral change strategies may be needed over time

01/12 01/01 01/02 01/03-3.5

-3

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

Date

Wei

ght

[kg]

Lost, N = 13

Gained or same, N = 13

Behavioral ChangeStrategy 1 Behavioral

ChangeStrategy 2

Behavioral ChangeStrategy 3

Mobile- and web- based interventions

Combining mobile- and web – based interventions with some personal contact

Vision: Web- and Mobile psychological interventions

Vision: Web- and Mobile psychological interventions

Training skills in daily life

Lappalainen et al. (Accepted): Depression symptoms, Face-to-Face vs. mainly web-based intervention.

Behaviour Research & Therapy

Pre Post F-up, 6 mo

F-up 18 mo

0

5

10

15

20

25

OnlineFace-to-face

Web-based

Face-to-Face

Conclusions

Advantages of using case formulation models > broader interventions

(Develop) programs for increasing motivation for change

Interventions should teach flexible strategies, what are these strategies in practice and how to teach them?

Advantages of using web- and mobile-interventions

Combine all these together