Biofeedback Enhanced Lifestyle Intervention: Exploring the Experience of Participants in a Novel Intervention for Disinhibited Eating and Obesity

Obesity increases risks for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Disinhibited Eating (DE) is an inconsistent ability to control overeating in the absence of hunger and is related to obesity and failed weight loss attempts. However, there are no effective interventions for simultaneously treating DE and obesity, so the Biofeedback Enhanced Lifestyle Intervention (BELI) was developed. BELI included novel techniques and some that could be considered burdensome and uncomfortable. Evidence of acceptability and feasibility of BELI should be established before resources are devoted to an efficacy study. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of BELI. Overweight/obese (OW/Ob) women with a tendency toward DE were recruited. BELI consisted of five counseling sessions, hunger biofeedback, child role modeling, and self-monitoring. Focus group data, process evaluation data, a satisfaction survey, and objective measures of weight and eating behaviors were collected. In exit focus groups participants reported BELI facilitated positive changes. Process evaluation data showed modest attrition (20%), good compliance, and feasibility of delivery. 100% of BELI completers reported high satisfaction. There were trends in improvements in weight status, eating behaviors, mood, and stress. Implications of this study are to conduct a pilot study of BELI to establish efficacy.