# Testing Intervention Strategies for Addressing Obesity and Binge Eating

> **NIH NIH K01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $147,998

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Obesity is a significant public health problem, with medical and psychosocial morbidities, impaired quality of
life, increased mortality, and substantial health care costs. Up to 30% of treatment-seeking individuals with
obesity have comorbid binge eating, an eating disorder behavior characterized by eating a large amount of
food and experiencing loss of control. First-line interventions are face-to-face treatments for obesity or binge
eating, but current approaches fail to address both conditions and cannot reach all people in need. To tackle
comorbid obesity and binge eating, an intervention needs to be designed that: 1) targets both weight and binge
eating; 2) improves the efficiency of the intervention while preserving its potency; and 3) is scalable to large
populations of users. Thus, I propose a research agenda to design a mobile intervention that targets
obesity and binge eating, which aligns with the NIH’s call for research that enhances the precision of
intervention delivery. I will conduct two studies with adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) and recurrent binge eating
(≥12 binge episodes in the past 3 months). First, I will employ a user-centered design approach to design a 16-
session guided self-help, mobile intervention that combines components of psychological and behavioral
weight loss (BWL) interventions. Overvaluation of weight and shape, unhealthy weight control practices, and
negative affect are key treatment targets in psychological interventions for binge eating, but are not
components of BWL. Thus, I will design an intervention that integrates these three components as adjuncts to
BWL. I will conduct usability testing to inform intervention refinements prior to a pilot trial (Aim 1). Second, I will
conduct a randomized pilot trial to determine the feasibility of delivering the intervention protocol and to
generate preliminary data on the effect of the intervention on changes in weight and binge eating at 16 weeks
(post-intervention) and 3 months post-intervention (follow-up) (Aims 2 & 3). I will use a 23 full factorial trial
design to randomly assign participants to a combination of the 3 components (n=8 conditions) in order to
isolate which of the 3 intervention components are active ingredients. I will apply the Multiphase Optimization
Strategy framework to optimize the intervention. These aims support my training plan in which I will receive
expert mentorship and training in user-centered design and usability testing (Training Goal 1); using novel
frameworks and efficient trial designs (Training Goal 2); and longitudinal data analysis of clinical trials
(Training Goal 3). Expertise of the mentorship team, along with the academic and training environment of
Northwestern University, will ensure my success. Results of this study will be used to optimize the intervention,
which I will then test in a subsequent R01 trial. This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award will
equip me with the skills and data t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10463598
- **Project number:** 5K01DK116925-05
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea Kass Graham
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $147,998
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10463598

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10463598, Testing Intervention Strategies for Addressing Obesity and Binge Eating (5K01DK116925-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10463598. Licensed CC0.

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