COR Protocol for the Treatment of Binge Eating in Chilean Adults (COR) (COR)

A Pilot Study on the Feasibility and Acceptability of the COR (Body Compassion-Emotional Regulation-Conscious Reconnection With Eating) Protocol for Addressing Binge Eating in Chilean Adults

The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a brief online psychological program called COR can be delivered in a feasible and acceptable way for adults who experience recurrent binge eating.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

• Is the COR program acceptable to participants, in terms of satisfaction, adherence, and dropout rates?
• Is the COR program feasible to deliver online, including recruitment, retention, and completion of sessions and questionnaires?
• Do participants show preliminary changes over time in binge eating-related distress and emotional well-being?

Participants in this study are adults who experience recurrent episodes of binge eating. They will take part in an individual online intervention that includes eight weekly sessions, a brief pre-session, and a follow-up session one month after the end of treatment.

During the study, participants will:

• Attend weekly online sessions focused on understanding binge eating, emotions, and the relationship with food and the body
• Practice simple exercises to help manage emotional distress and food-related urges
• Complete short questionnaires before, during, and after the intervention to describe their experiences

The information from this study will help researchers understand whether this type of intervention can be used in future, larger studies and in real-world clinical settings.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Binge Eating; Binge Eating Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: COR Protocol (Body Compassion - Emotional Regulation - Conscious Reconnection with Food)

Detailed Description

This study evaluates the COR protocol (Body Compassion-Emotional Regulation-Conscious Reconnection with Food), a brief, manualized psychological intervention designed for adults who experience recurrent binge eating. The study is conducted as a pilot trial to examine implementation-related outcomes and to explore preliminary clinical changes over time.

The COR protocol was developed by integrating evidence-informed components from cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders, dialectical behavior therapy skills, and approaches that promote a more conscious and flexible relationship with eating. The intervention is grounded in a non-weight-centered framework and places emphasis on emotional regulation, experiential work with urges and cravings, and the gradual development of a more compassionate relationship with the body and eating.

The intervention is delivered individually in an online format and consists of eight weekly sessions, preceded by a brief pre-session and followed by a one-month follow-up session. Sessions follow a structured but flexible progression, organized around a defined trajectory of change. Early sessions focus on establishing a therapeutic framework, understanding binge eating as a functional and emotionally driven behavior, and identifying personal vulnerability patterns. Middle sessions emphasize skills for relating differently to urges and emotional distress, including experiential and regulation-based strategies. Later sessions focus on body-related self-criticism, compassion-based practices, consolidation of skills, and planning for continuity of care and relapse prevention.

Each session includes a combination of psychoeducation, guided experiential exercises, reflective discussion, and brief between-session practices. Between-session tasks are designed to support observation and reflection rather than performance or compliance, and difficulties completing tasks are addressed as clinically meaningful information rather than treatment failure.

The protocol is manualized to support consistency across providers while allowing controlled clinical flexibility in pacing, examples, and depth of exploration, according to participant needs. Core components of each session and overarching therapeutic principles are defined as non-modifiable to preserve fidelity to the model.

As part of the study design, the COR protocol is implemented by psychologists with general clinical training who receive structured training in the model prior to implementation, as well as ongoing weekly clinical supervision during the intervention period. Therapist adherence to the protocol is supported through the use of structured adherence checklists, which are intended for monitoring and quality assurance rather than performance evaluation.

This pilot study focuses on outcomes related to feasibility and acceptability of the intervention when delivered online, including aspects of recruitment, retention, adherence, and participant satisfaction. In addition, the study explores preliminary changes over time in binge eating-related symptoms and associated emotional and psychological processes. Data from this pilot will be used to inform refinements to the protocol and the design of future larger-scale studies.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Neli Escandon, PhD; Phone Number: +56452685078; Email: nescandon@uct.cl

Study Locations

• Chile
  • La Araucanía
    • Temuco, La Araucanía, Chile, 4780000
      • Recruiting
      • Universidad Catolica de Temuco
      • Contact: Neli Escandon, PhD; Phone Number: 452685078; Email: nescandon@uct.cl

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 years or older.
• Overweight or obesity, based on self-report.
• At least three binge-eating episodes in the past 30 days, associated with psychological distress.
• The presence of chronic medical conditions commonly associated with overweight or obesity (e.g., hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or polycystic ovary syndrome) is permitted, provided that such conditions are medically stable.
• If present, chronic medical conditions must be medically stable, defined as:
• stable medical treatment for at least 12 weeks,
• no recent changes in medication,
• no acute clinical decompensation or recent major cardiovascular events,
• at least one related medical follow-up visit in the past 12 months.
• If present, psychopharmacological treatment must be stable, defined as no changes in medication type or dosage during the 12 weeks prior to enrollment.
• Daily access to the internet and to a computer or smartphone that allows participation in online sessions and assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current compensatory behaviors associated with binge eating, such as self-induced vomiting and/or regular use of laxatives, within the past 60 days.

  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding at the time of the initial assessment.
  • History of bariatric surgery.
  • Active suicidal ideation
  • Current symptoms consistent with severe mental disorders, such as psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or severe personality disorders, when associated with marked functional impairment or the need for specialized or higher-intensity clinical care.
  • Current substance use pattern that, due to its severity or functional impact, requires specialized clinical treatment.
  • Ongoing psychological and/or nutritional treatment at the time of enrollment, defined as regular sessions or an active treatment plan, regardless of treatment focus or therapeutic approach.
  • Presence of active or medically unstable conditions, characterized by clinically significant symptoms, lack of medical follow-up, or recent changes in medication, that could interfere with participation in the intervention or substantially affect eating behavior or mood.
  • Significant functional impairment that, in the clinical judgment of the research team, would limit the participant's ability to engage safely and consistently in the intervention.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: COR Protocol

Behavioral: COR Protocol (Body Compassion - Emotional Regulation - Conscious Reconnection with Food); The COR protocol (Body Compassion-Emotional Regulation-Conscious Reconnection with Food) is a brief, manualized psychological intervention designed to address recurrent binge eating in adults. The intervention is delivered individually in an online format and consists of eight weekly sessions, preceded by an initial pre-session and followed by a one-month follow-up session. COR integrates elements from cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders, dialectical behavior therapy skills, and principles of intuitive eating, within a non-weight-centered and compassion-focused framework. The intervention targets key psychological processes involved in binge eating, including emotional regulation, responses to food-related urges and cravings, and the development of a more compassionate relationship with the body and eating. Sessions include psychoeducation, functional analysis of binge episodes, experiential exercises, brief regulation practices, and reflective between-session activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of Eligible Participants Who Initiate the COR Intervention	Recruitment rate is defined as the proportion of eligible individuals who begin the COR intervention, calculated as the number of eligible participants who start the intervention divided by the number of eligible individuals who were successfully contacted and formally invited to participate during the recruitment period.	At enrollment.
Proportion of Participants Who Complete All Eight COR Intervention Sessions	Retention during the intervention is defined as the proportion of participants who complete all eight scheduled COR intervention sessions.	Up to 8 weeks.
Proportion of Participants Who Attend the 1-Month Follow-Up Session After Completing the COR Intervention	Retention at follow-up is defined as the proportion of participants who completed the eighth COR intervention session and subsequently attended the 1-month follow-up session.	Up to 12 weeks.
Proportion of Participants Who Discontinue the COR Intervention Before Completing All Eight Sessions	Dropout rate is defined as the proportion of participants who discontinue the COR intervention before completing all eight scheduled sessions. When available, participants' self-reported reasons for discontinuation will be recorded descriptively.	Up to 8 weeks.
Proportion of Scheduled Assessment Instruments Completed by Participants	Assessment completeness is defined as the proportion of scheduled assessment instruments completed by participants relative to the total number of instruments planned. This includes both formal assessment batteries administered at predefined study time points and weekly monitoring measures collected during the intervention period. This outcome evaluates the feasibility of data collection procedures.	From baseline through 12 weeks.
Acceptability of the COR Protocol Among Participants and Interventionists	Acceptability of the COR protocol will be assessed using both participant- and interventionist-reported indicators. Participant acceptability will be assessed at post-treatment using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CRES-4), which captures overall satisfaction with the intervention and perceived usefulness. Participant experiences regarding the intervention format, duration, contents, and strategies will be further explored through semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted after completion of the intervention. Interventionist acceptability will be assessed through semi-structured qualitative interviews focused on perceived adequacy, usability, and fit of the COR protocol within the clinical context.	At completion of the eighth COR intervention session (session 8).
Implementation Fidelity of the COR Protocol	Implementation fidelity of the COR protocol will be assessed by evaluating whether the intervention is delivered as intended. This includes assessment of (a) adherence to the core contents, objectives, and strategies specified for each session, (b) quality of intervention delivery (e.g., structure, clarity, and consistency with the COR model), and (c) participant exposure to the intervention (dose received), operationalized through session attendance, session duration, and completion of between-session tasks. Fidelity indicators will be primarily collected using a therapist-completed adherence checklist administered after each session, complemented by attendance and session-duration records. Descriptive information regarding implementation challenges and adaptations will also be recorded to support monitoring and future refinement of the protocol.	From the first COR intervention session (session 1) through completion of the eighth COR intervention session (session 8), assessed over 8 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Binge-Eating Symptoms	Changes in binge-eating symptoms, including the frequency and severity of binge-eating-related behaviors and associated distress, will be assessed using validated self-report measures, including the Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15) and the Binge Eating Disorder Screener-7 (BEDS-7). In addition to the predefined assessment time points, the ED-15 will be administered weekly during the intervention period for monitoring purposes.	From baseline through 12 weeks.
Change in General Psychological Distress (CORE-OM)	General psychological distress will be assessed using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), a self-report questionnaire that measures overall psychological distress and well-being. This outcome will be used to describe changes in general distress during and after participation in the COR intervention and to support monitoring of participant well-being.	From baseline through 12 weeks.
Change in Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (DERS)	Difficulties in emotion regulation will be assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), a self-report questionnaire that measures difficulties in understanding, accepting, and managing emotions. This outcome will be used to describe changes in emotion regulation difficulties following participation in the COR intervention.	From baseline through 12 weeks.
Change in Body Compassion	Changes in body compassion will be assessed using the Body Compassion Scale (BCS), a self-report measure designed to assess compassionate attitudes toward the body.	From baseline through 12 weeks.
Change in Emotional Eating	Changes in emotional eating will be assessed using the emotional eating subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ-EE), a self-report measure of eating in response to emotional states.	From baseline through 12 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Catolica de Temuco
• Collaborators: Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Neli Escandon, PhD, Universidad Catolica de Temuco

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 12, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 20, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 20, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Emotion regulation; Binge eating; Binge Eating Disorder; Intuitive eating; Body compassion
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Hyperphagia; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Signs and Symptoms; Social Behavior; Self-Control; Bulimia; Binge-Eating Disorder; Emotional Regulation; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages; Food
• Other Study ID Numbers: Fondecyt Iniciacion 11230678

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared due to the sensitive nature of the data collected (mental health and eating-related behaviors), the small sample size of this pilot study, and the lack of explicit participant consent for data sharing.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No