A group of ethnically and neuro-diverse young people gave feedback about content, delivery and overall study design. Researchers used these comments to tailor and optimise their intervention to the needs of the adolescents they were developing it with. 

AIM2Change is a type of ‘talking therapy’ co-developed with young people to help them develop their own reasons and weight management goals. It uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help participants accept feelings they might find difficult to deal with. Participants are encouraged to see these feelings as responses to certain situations and accept them, rather than seeing them as something that stands in the way of achieving their goals. 

Researchers adjusted the intervention according to feedback they received from young people. This included:

• Focusing more on eating behaviour strategies such as mindful eating, dealing with cravings and setting goals
• Explanatory videos were augmented with more tailored explanations by the therapist, to be more meaningful for the individual
• Adding more ‘hands on’ tasks, which increased engagement from young people 

Read the full NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Bristol news story