Adapting Future Thinking to Help Weight Loss
Official title: Adapting Episodic Future Thinking for Behavioral Weight Loss: Comparing Strategies and Characterizing Treatment Response
Funded at Miriam Hospital · NIH-11398584 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly program tests if imagining future outcomes can help people with obesity make better food choices and lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Miriam Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $525,949 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK128412-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398584 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity enrolled in an Internet-delivered weight loss program.
✕Less likely to help
If EFT strategies do not resonate or participants have difficulty engaging with future-focused imagery, benefits may be limited.
What this research studies
This grant funds a trial in which adults with obesity participate in a web-based weight loss program enhanced with Episodic Future Thinking. Participants are guided to picture future consequences of their eating and activity choices, with strategies that either prevent negative outcomes or promote long-term benefits. The study compares standard online weight loss support to EFT approaches that focus on prevention or promotion, over several months. The goal is to see whether these future-focused techniques improve adherence, reduce cravings, and support sustained weight loss in real-world settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make weight loss programs more effective by helping people think beyond immediate rewards to long-term health.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggested EFT can influence eating behavior and weight loss, with stronger effects for certain EFT focuses.
Where this research is happening
-
Miriam Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Demos, Kathryn E — Miriam Hospital
- Study coordinator: Demos, Kathryn E
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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.