Here, an acceptance-based therapy was compared to effective standard behaviour therapy. It is suggested that the acceptance-based therapy by fostering willingness outperformed standard behavioural therapy in part because of a focus on values. “Willingness was framed as a skill that positions individuals to choose behaviors that are consistent with their values and long-term goals.”
Here, a study suggests that “targeting acceptance, mindfulness, and values can have an impact on stigma, distress, and quality of life in the obese, and can enhance current efforts to control weight”.
Here, in the landmark mind your health trial, infusing standard behavioural therapy for weight loss with acceptance-based strategies (ABT) improved outcomes. ABT includes behavioural commitments to clearly defined values which are posited to increase motivation to persist in difficult weight-control behaviours. Results suggested that the addition of ABT enhanced weight loss even after two years off treatment. Those receiving ABT were about twice as likely to maintain 10% weight loss at 36 months.