Objective: Text messaging is a promising weight loss intervention modality for emerging adults who are overweight, but few studies exist to guide intervention development. Furthermore, sleep is emerging as a salient intervention target for weight management. This study examines feasibility and acceptability of two text messaging interventions for weight control in emerging adults, one of which includes sleep intervention content. Methods: Forty-three emerging adults who were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 , 30; ages 18-21) were randomized to receive either a text messaging intervention focused on diet and physical activity change, or a text messaging intervention designed to modify sleep behavior plus diet and physical activity. The interventions included motivational interviewing, education around health behaviors, physical activity, and dietary goal setting, as well as sleep goals for those in the sleep condition. All participants self-monitored diet, physical activity, and weight via text message for 3 months; those in the sleep intervention monitored nightly sleep duration. Results: Intervention acceptability and engagement were high for both conditions. In exploratory analyses, we observed that body mass index remained stable across assessments, regardless of condition. Participants in the sleep modification condition showed significantly greater sleep duration from pre-to post-intervention than those in the standard intervention. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a weight loss intervention delivered by text messaging, including components designed to improve sleep, is acceptable and feasible for emerging adults who are overweight, and that extended sleep duration may be a benefit of the sleep modification intervention. Implications for Impact StatementThis study provides support for the feasibility and acceptability of a text messaging intervention combining traditional behavioral weight loss strategies with sleep intervention in emerging adults. Results also suggest that a weight loss intervention targeting sleep improvements may increase sleep duration.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Study Objectives Insufficient sleep and social stress are associated with weight gain and obesity development in adolescent girls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research suggests that altered engagement of emotion-related neural networks may explain overeating when under stress. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of acute sleep restriction on female adolescents’ neural responding during social evaluative stress and their subsequent eating behavior. Methods Forty-two adolescent females (ages 15−18 years) with overweight or obesity completed a social stress induction task in which they were told they would be rated by peers based on their photograph and profile. Participants were randomly assigned to one night of sleep deprivation or 9 h of sleep the night before undergoing fMRI while receiving positive and negative evaluations from their peers. After which, subjects participated in an ad libitum buffet. Results Sleep deprived, relative to nondeprived girls had distinct patterns of neural engagement to positive and negative evaluation in anterior, mid, and posterior aspects of midline brain structures. Moreover, a sleep deprivation-by-evaluation valence-by-caloric intake interaction emerged in bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate. Among sleep deprived girls, greater engagement during negative, but not positive, feedback was associated with lower caloric intake. This was not observed for nonsleep deprived girls. Conclusions Results suggest an interaction between acute sleep loss and social evaluation that predicts emotion-related neural activation and caloric intake in adolescents. This research helps to elucidate the relationship between sleep loss, social stress, and weight status using a novel health neuroscience model.