Can optimism get you moving after weight loss surgery? small study says maybe.
NCT ID NCT04867902
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested a 10-week phone-based program that combines positive psychology and motivational interviewing to help people become more active after bariatric surgery. Twelve adults who had surgery 6-12 months earlier and were not very active took part. The goal was to see if the program was easy to use and acceptable, not yet to prove it works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Positive psychology-motivational interviewing intervention
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple phone-based program to help people become more active after weight loss surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early proof-of-concept trial with only 12 participants. It only tested feasibility and acceptability, not whether the program actually boosts activity long-term.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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12 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Jun 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult (age 18+) * History of bariatric surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) at one of two academic medical centers within the past 6-12 months * Interest in increasing physical activity * Low physical activity, defined as \<200 minutes/week self-reported moderate- to-vigorous physical activity * Access to telephone for study sessions * Able to read and speak English Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive deficits precluding participation or informed consent * Illness likely to lead to death in the next 6 months * Inability to be physically active (e.g., severe arthritis) * Participation in another program targeting physical activity besides their standard offerings at the surgery center.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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