text_1: Weight loss can be boosted fivefold thanks to novel mental imagery technique
text_2: The news release focuses on a study reporting that overweight individuals who engaged in functional imagery training (FIT) were more successful at losing weight than individuals who engaged in a type of talk therapy called motivational interviewing (MI). However, the release does not answer many questions that are relevant to determining how useful FIT is for weight loss. For example, because the study does not appear to have collected information on diet or exercise, it’s not clear whether the difference in outcomes stems from differences in lifestyle choices made by study participants. It would have been helpful if the release (and study) had analyzed specifically how increased motivation and lifestyle choices can result in weight loss. The published study notes that data relating to “participants’ experiences and process variables, including frequency of motivational cognitions, self-efficacy for diet and physical activity, self-reported diet and physical activity” were collected but that the results would be reported separately. When comparing the efficacy of MI and FIT, it’s important to know what sort of lifestyle changes study participants made. If a significant percentage of participants who engaged in FIT also joined a for-profit diet program, that support system might explain the differing results. By the same token, it’s not clear if the MI group and the FIT group were matched for initial weight, sex or age — any of which could influence how much weight was lost. Without knowledge of those details, it is difficult or impossible to say how much more effective FIT was than MI (if at all). According to the published research, there were some differences in full-time employment and the range in baseline weight that weren’t addressed in the limitations section of the study and which could affect the reliability of the data.