Imagine feeling trapped in a cycle of shame and self-criticism because of your weight. For many living with severe obesity, this is a daily struggle that can lead to depression and unhealthy eating habits. A recent study explored a compassionate approach to therapy, called Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), designed specifically for those grappling with high levels of self-criticism. Over 10 weekly sessions, participants learned to cultivate self-compassion, and the results were striking: improvements in mood, reduced feelings of shame, and healthier eating behaviors were reported. These benefits didn’t just disappear after the sessions ended; they were still evident three months later. This means that for individuals facing the dual challenges of severe obesity and mental health issues, CFT could be a game-changer, offering a path to a kinder relationship with themselves and a healthier lifestyle. However, while the results are promising, it’s important to remember that therapy is just one piece of the puzzle. Ongoing support and a comprehensive treatment plan remain essential for long-term success.
CFT Improves Depression and Emotional Eating in Severe Obesity: RCT ResultsCan Kindness to Yourself Help Tackle Obesity and Depression?
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Key Takeaway
Consider CFT to improve psychological outcomes in patients with severe obesity.
This single-centre, examiner-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on psychological outcomes in individuals with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²). The study involved 91 participants randomized to either treatment as usual (n=46) or treatment as usual plus group-based CFT (n=45). The CFT intervention consisted of 10 weekly 2-hour sessions. Primary outcomes included self-compassion, depressive symptoms, emotional eating, shame, self-criticism, submissive behavior, and negative social comparison, assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and three months post-intervention. Results demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in all measured psychological outcomes for the CFT group compared to the control group, with p-values < 0.001. These improvements were sustained at the three-month follow-up. No adverse events related to the intervention were reported. Clinically, these findings suggest that CFT is an effective adjunctive psychological intervention for reducing psychological distress in individuals with severe obesity, potentially enhancing the efficacy of standard obesity treatments.
What this means for you:
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View Original Abstract ↓
BACKGROUND: Severe obesity (defined as a BMI ≥ 40 kg m-2) is often accompanied by significant mental health co-morbidities such as eating disorders and depressive disorder and people living with severe obesity often experience feelings of shame, self-criticism and feelings of inferiority in relation to others. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was specifically designed for people with high levels of shame and self-criticism and aims to promote self-compassion which is regarded as an adaptive emotional regulation strategy.
AIMS: To explore the effect on psychological outcomes of a 10-session (weekly for 2 hours) in-person, group-based CFT intervention for people living with severe obesity. We sought to determine whether CFT would lead to improved self-compassion, depressive symptoms, emotional eating, shame, self-criticism, submissive behavior, and negative social comparison.
METHOD: A single-centre, randomized controlled trial was carried out with 91 participants allocated to either 'treatment as usual' (n = 46) or 'treatment as usual with additional group based CFT' (n = 45). Treatment as usual included dietary advice, assessment by a Consultant Endocrinologist with possible prescription of medication, and participation in an eight-week lifestyle modification programme. Psychological outcomes were recorded at three time points (pre-treatment, post-treatment, and three-months after the end of group-based CFT).
RESULTS: CFT led to statistically and clinically significant improvements in self-compassion, self-coldness, mood, shame, emotional eating, self-criticism, social comparison, and submissive behaviour (all p < 0.001) compared with treatment as usual. These results were maintained at three-month follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Group CFT appears to be an effective psychological intervention to alleviate psychological distress in people living with severe obesity.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03249441.
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