Wellness Education Intervention

This project will recruit subjects seeking weight loss in the Dallas Fort Worth area. A screen consisting of patient's weight and height to calculate a patient's BMI will be completed. Pre-assessment measures of anxiety, depression, eating disorder symptoms, sleep, self-efficacy, quality of life, and weight-wellness related behaviors (sleeping patterns, exercise patterns, eating patterns) will be completed before the intervention using a secure online link to RedCap. Participants will then attend eight weekly sessions of a group psychoeducational intervention. The intervention includes eight modules of various topics including the psychoeducation on the primitive brain model, motivation, goal-setting, affirmations, rewards, promoting autonomy, reducing guilt, and relapse prevention. Participants will complete homework assignments, share their work with the group to elicit feedback, and participate in guided discussions. Post-assessments will be completed 1-4 weeks and 3-5 months after the interventions is completed. These measures will determine (1) if psychological symptoms are responsive to the intervention, and (2) if clinical symptom changes related to weight and quality of life are affected.