Randomized Trial of Tapas Acupressure for Weight Loss Maintenance

This randomized clinical trial evaluates the efficacy of TAT(Tapas Acupressure Technique) compared to a Social Support (SS) group for the primary outcome of weight loss maintenance. We recruit obese adults from the Kaiser Permanente Northwest managed care setting. Those who meet eligibility criteria are entered into an intensive six-month weekly group-based behavioral weight loss program. Those who meet threshold weight loss criteria (n=~288) are randomly assigned to either TAT instruction or social support group. Participants in both groups attend the same schedule of group meetings with parallel contact hours. Participants in the TAT group are advised to practice the technique at home. Participants are weighed and questionnaires administered at entry, randomization, and at 12 and 18 months post entry. The main outcome measure is weight at 18 months.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

30 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2 / Phase 3

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria for the Phase I weight loss program:

Men and women
At least 30 years of age
BMI 30-50 kg/m2 (inclusive)
Weight <400 lbs
Reside in Portland metropolitan area including Vancouver/Clark County, Washington
Willing and able to participate in all aspects of the intervention
Willing to attend the group-based weight loss program for 6 months
Willing to follow a reduced calorie healthy dietary pattern
Willing to exercise on a regular basis
Willing to lose 10 pounds during the 6-month weight loss program
Willing to accept random assignment to one of the two maintenance interventions
Willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

for the Phase I weight loss program

Medical conditions or treatments that would be contraindicated using a diet and exercise weight loss treatment
Treatment for cancer (except for non-melanoma skin cancer) currently or in the past 2 years
Diabetes treated with insulin; does not exclude diet-controlled, controlled with sulfonylurea (glyburide, glipizide, etc.) with primary physician's approval, or controlled with other oral agents (metformin, precose, glitazone.)
Psychiatric hospitalization in past 2 years
Conditions that require limitation of physical activity
Congestive heart failure
Cardiovascular disease (stroke, MI, CABG, angioplasty/stent) in the past 2 years
Taking weight loss medications currently or within past 6 months
Any history of weight loss surgery or scheduled surgery for weight loss.
Liposuction in the past 12 months
Prior acupuncture or acupressure treatments for weight loss
Planning to leave the area prior to the end of the program
Body weight change > 20 pounds in the past 6 months
Pregnant, breast feeding, or planning pregnancy prior to the end of participation
Current participation in another clinical trial
Investigator discretion for safety or adherence reasons
Household member (living at the same address) of another participant in this study
LIFE clinical trial staff member or family member of LIFE trial staff person

Treatment and study plan

Tapas Acupressure Technique

Behavioral

Practice of the TAT technique involves application of pressure to select acupoints combined with specific mental focus. The TAT pose involves lightly touching the tips of the left thumb and 4th finger to the area 1/8 inch above the inner corner of each eye and the 3rd finger to the point midway between the eyes, about ½ inch above eyebrow level. The right hand is on the back of the head, with the palm cradling the occiput and the thumb just above the hairline. Once in this position, the process is to 1) focus attention on the identified problem or behavior to be changed (e.g., over-eating); 2) focus on a positive thought related to the problem; 3) focus on the thought of healing or clearing the origins of the problem; and 4) focus on an awareness of healing or clearing any storage of the problem, at a cellular, mental, emotional, or energetic level.

Other names: TAT

Social Support

Behavioral

The LIFE SS maintenance intervention will consist of a series of professionally facilitated social support groups where the session content is directed by the participants. The contact hours for SS will match those of the TAT intervention. The initial SS group session will orient participants to the basics of weight maintenance, and subsequent sessions will provide opportunities for participants to share experiences and ask questions. Participants may choose to use behavioral tools as desired. In addition to the basic materials about weight loss maintenance used in both maintenance interventions, will we use the materials already used in the weight loss program for the SS group as needed. We will measure adherence by taking attendance at the SS group sessions.

Other names: Social support groups

Primary outcomes

weight

Time frame: 18 months

Secondary outcomes

psychosocial measures, exercise, food frequency, and food cravings variables

Time frame: randomization, and @ months 12 and 18

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kaiser Permanente

Other

Collaborators

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Registry information

Acronym: LIFE

Important dates

Study start: 2008
Primary completion: 2010
Study completion: 2011
First posted: Sep 10, 2007
Registry last updated: Oct 5, 2011

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed