Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Weight loss intervention for people with serious mental illness: a randomized controlled trial of the RENEW program
Catana Brown1, Jeannine Goetz, Edna Hamera
1Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308, USA. cbrown2@midwestern.edu
Objective:
This study assessed phases one and two of a three-phase weight-loss program called RENEW--Recovering Energy Through Nutrition and Exercise for Weight Loss--among individuals with serious mental illness at four mental health centers. RENEW provides meal replacements twice daily and intensive instruction in nutrition and meal preparation, exercise, and goal setting for three months followed by three months of maintenance.
Methods:
Individuals grouped by the psychiatric medication they took were assigned randomly to RENEW or to a control group.
Results:
Participants who completed RENEW (N=47) had lost more weight on average than had the control group (N=42) at three and six months (weight loss of 5.3 and 4.4 pounds, respectively, versus weight gain of .1 pounds and weight loss of .9 pounds, respectively; F=5.74, df=2 and 82, p=.005). Results did not vary on the basis of type of medication.
Conclusions:
Weight loss programs that address cognitive impairments that may accompany serious mental illness can be effective.
Related Concept Videos
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Binge Eating Disorders
Bulimia Nervosa
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...

