Comparing the Effectiveness of CBT and ACT on Weight Loss and Quality of Life among overwheight women

Overweight and obesity are among major health related problems in modern societies. Many psychological interventions are developed to lose weight and it is important to study their effectiveness. The aim of present study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on body mass index (BMI) and quality of life among overweight women.

Research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest-follow up design and randomized allocation. Population was consisted of all overweight women living in the city of Mashhad. Forty five women with overweight were selected through convenience sampling and allocated randomly in two experiment groups of CBT and ACT, and one control group. BMI, quality of life, and demographic questionnaire were examined in pretest, posttest and three months follow-up. Repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyze the data.

Findings demonstrated that BMI was significantly lower in experiment groups in comparison of the control group in posttest and follow-up. However, no significant difference in BMI were found between CBT and ACT groups in posttest and follow-up. Findings also showed that subscales of quality of life were significantly higher among participants in intervention groups in comparison of control group in posttest and follow-up. Furthermore, participants in ACT group had significantly higher levels of quality of life and mental health in comparison of CBT group.

According to the results, both interventions had significant effectiveness in weight loss however ACT group had more significant effectiveness in some indicators of quality of life.