Randomized Trial Comparing Enhanced Cue Exposure Therapy and Behavioral Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Negative Emotional Eating in Adults

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Enhanced Cue Exposure Therapy E-CET in reducing negative emotional eating NEE compared to a behavioral lifestyle intervention BLI. The study is a randomized controlled trial that also investigates whether changes in conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus CS-US expectancies explain the effects of E-CET on NEE. The trial is sponsored by The University of Hong Kong and focuses on adults with disordered eating behaviors, including binge eating. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups the experimental group receiving six weekly sessions of E-CET or the control group receiving six weekly sessions of BLI. E-CET involves in-person therapy sessions with exposures designed to challenge and change expectancies that maintain NEE, including homework exercises conducted in daily life. BLI consists of behavioral counseling focused on dietary changes, goal setting, and relaxation. Both groups receive treatment lasting six weeks. Participants will be assessed at the start, immediately after treatment, and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Evaluations include changes in emotional eating measured by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and the number of NEE episodes recorded via ecological momentary assessments. Additional measures include caloric intake, external eating behaviors, eating disorder symptoms, body weight, mood, and quality of life. The study monitors treatment progress and relapse prevention over 14 months to understand long-term effects.

Enhanced Cue Exposure Therapy for Negative Emotional Eating