Researchers tested whether adding special mental exercises to a standard weight loss program could help people lose more weight. The study involved 148 adults with excess weight who participated in online group sessions. Everyone received a standard behavioral weight loss program, but some groups also got different types of additional training: one group received comprehensive cognitive exercises, another got placebo exercises, and a third group only got the standard program.
Over six months, people who received the comprehensive cognitive training showed greater reductions in their weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio compared to those who only got the standard program. The benefits were still present at the six-month follow-up. The study did not report any safety concerns, though about 14% of participants did not complete the study.
The main reason to be careful is that this was a relatively small study, and the researchers did not provide the exact amount of weight people lost. They described the effects as 'moderate' but didn't give specific numbers. The training was done online in a controlled research setting, so it's unclear how well it would work in everyday life. Readers should see this as early evidence that mental exercises might help some people with weight management, but it's not yet a proven approach for everyone.
