I present my group's previous work at the university of Copenhagen, developing a support intervention for lifestyle changes with overweight citizens - changes that would be attractive and manageable in real-life settings. Starting with a hypothesis that a class of unconventional ‘low-tension’ strategies may offer an effective support of stable, long-term changes well integrated in everyday life, difficult to maintain with conventional dieting and self-control approaches, we designed and optimized an intervention model combining several low-tension methods: mindfulness, group dynamics, and - as it should turn out - humor. We have recently concluded a clinical trial testing the efficacy of the new intervention in the setting of municipal health and prvention centers, with promising and paradoxical results. The findings raise interesting questions for further development of viable, real-life intervention models.

Niels Viggo Hansen, Philosopher, Interacting Minds Centre