Efficacy of a Cognitive - Affective - Addictive Based Intervention to Decrease Food Craving in Obese Patients.

This intervention consists of mental exercises aimed at improving executive function via practice. Simple cognitive tasks that encourage reflective learning and insight into patient's own thinking process are administered. Exercises target set-shifting (i.e., cognitive flexibility), estimating, organization and planning.

EST places emphasis on the improvement of inner emotion awareness, facial and body expression recognition and intra- and interpersonal emotion regulation skills. Different modules and interactive exercises are designed to help patients learn about i) the functions and manifestations of emotions, ii) the identification and labelling of own's and others' emotions, iii) tolerating and communicating emotions, and iiii) balancing between negative and positive emotions.

CBT intervention aimed to manage food craving by teaching group members cognitive (e.g., restructuring of urge-related thoughts) and behavioural strategies (e.g., increasing awareness through food diaries, relaxation skills, identification of cues that trigger craving, avoidance of high-risk situations for craving, distraction).

Multidisciplinary outpatient program including several consultations with endocrinologists, dietitians, psychologists, nutritionists and/or physical activity coaches. Patients are regularly followed and educated about the importance of lifestyle changes including healthy dietary habits and exercise in weight reduction and maintenance. Patients are also usually given information about nutritional value of various foods and few simple exercises for decreasing and maintaining body weight. This program is therefore planned as part of the usual care and responds to the recommendations of good practice for obesity