Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to boost activity and keep weight off after bariatric surgery
Official title: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Promote Autonomous Motivation for Increased Physical Activity and Improved Weight Loss Maintenance in Bariatric Surgery Patients: A Randomized Trial
Funded at Hartford Hospital · NIH-11249641 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help adults who had bariatric surgery stay active and maintain weight loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hartford Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hartford, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $573,183 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK135463-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249641 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have undergone metabolic or bariatric surgery, are 21 or older, and are not regularly meeting recommended moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who have not had bariatric surgery, are already regularly active at recommended levels, or have medical reasons preventing moderate-to-vigorous activity may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to receive a group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop plus follow-up email feedback and phone support or to the comparison condition used at the hospital. The ACT sessions focus on clarifying personal values, building internal motivation for regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and learning ways to accept and move past thoughts or feelings that block activity. Study staff will follow participants over time to track physical activity, weight, and related health measures. Participation will involve scheduled visits and contacts at Hartford Hospital over the study period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people keep up physical activity and reduce long-term weight regain after bariatric surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot studies of ACT-based workshops have shown promise for increasing physical activity, but larger randomized trials in bariatric surgery patients are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Hartford Hospital
Hartford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bond, Dale S — Hartford Hospital
- Study coordinator: Bond, Dale S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.