Implementation Intention for Initiating Intuitive Eating and Active Embodiment in Obese Patients Using a Smartphone Application

Abstract

This article describes a study protocol, which aims to explore and describe the feasibility of a mobile-phone application for initiating intuitive eating and intuitive exercising in patients who are following an ambulatory treatment for obesity. Intuitive eating refers to one's ability to make food choices based on one's awareness of his/her body's response. Intuitive exercising encourages people in finding enjoyable ways of being physically active. These two components will be trained using an implementation intention procedure, that is, behavioral plans that aim at creating a strong link between a specified situation and a response. We aim to recruit up to 80 overweight and obese patients over a period of 2 years. The smartphone application will be assessed on the basis of (i) data obtained through a 4-week use period, (ii) self-report measures taken before and after the use of the mobile application, and (iii) feedbacks from participants after the use of the mobile application. This pilot study will allow us to better understand the applicability of the use of mobile application within ambulatory treatment settings, and to adapt the design of the app necessary for building cross-sectional studies investigating its efficacy.

Keywords: health at every size; implementation intention; intuitive eating; intuitive exercise; obesity; smartphone application.

Figure 1

An illustration of the “IF → THEN” smartphone application. (A1) After having pushed on “Eating,” participant can either rate the degree of hunger or have a direct access to the implementation intention strategies; (A2) after having rated the degree of hunger, the “Scan your body” screen appears; (A3) next, the implementation intention strategies appear; (A4) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (B1) after having pushed on “Moving,” the implementation intention strategies appear; (B2) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (C) after having pushed on “My body,” participants can have access to descriptive statistics linking the level of hunger associated with each type of affective state, and the topographical observation on body activation/deactivation for each type of affective state.

Figure 1

An illustration of the “IF → THEN” smartphone application. (A1) After having pushed on “Eating,” participant can either rate the degree of hunger or have a direct access to the implementation intention strategies; (A2) after having rated the degree of hunger, the “Scan your body” screen appears; (A3) next, the implementation intention strategies appear; (A4) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (B1) after having pushed on “Moving,” the implementation intention strategies appear; (B2) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (C) after having pushed on “My body,” participants can have access to descriptive statistics linking the level of hunger associated with each type of affective state, and the topographical observation on body activation/deactivation for each type of affective state.

Figure 1

An illustration of the “IF → THEN” smartphone application. (A1) After having pushed on “Eating,” participant can either rate the degree of hunger or have a direct access to the implementation intention strategies; (A2) after having rated the degree of hunger, the “Scan your body” screen appears; (A3) next, the implementation intention strategies appear; (A4) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (B1) after having pushed on “Moving,” the implementation intention strategies appear; (B2) after having pushed on a specific strategy, participant has to rate the difficulty and satisfaction associated with the enactment of this strategy; (C) after having pushed on “My body,” participants can have access to descriptive statistics linking the level of hunger associated with each type of affective state, and the topographical observation on body activation/deactivation for each type of affective state.