Measuring avoidance and inflexibility in weight related problems.

Abstract

There is growing evidence that experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility plays a role in a variety of clinical presentations, including health problems. The present study presents preliminary data on a new measure of these processes in relation to difficult weight-related thoughts, feelings, and actions: The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties (AAQW). Data were examined from 84 participants enrolled in a weight maintenance study. The AAQW showed good internal consistency (α=.88) and correlated with other related measures, including the original Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ). The AAQW also changed when targeted by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The AAQW, while still in need of refinement, shows promise to become a useful measure for evaluating new intervention targets in weight control intervention, such as acceptance of difficult emotions.