The Tapping Evidence Base
Multiple Conditions

Multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention in children and adolescents - results of the project GRIT (Growth, Resilience, Insights, Thrive) pilot study

Mayr, H., Cohen, F., Isenring, E. · BMC Pediatrics · 2020

Outcome study 👥 38 participants Preliminary ✓ Source-checked 📍 Australia
In plain English. This pilot program combined exercise, nutrition education, and a single mindfulness/EFT session for sedentary kids and teens over 12 weeks. Those who completed the program improved their diet quality and self-concept. Since EFT was only one small component (a single session) of a broader multidisciplinary program with no control group, this study cannot isolate EFT's specific contribution to the results.

What they found

38
This pilot program combined exercise, nutrition education, and a single mindfulness/EFT session for sedentary kids and teens over 12 weeks.

Of 38 recruited participants, 24 (63%) completed the 12-week intervention (which included exercise, healthy eating education, and one mindful eating/EFT psychology session); completers significantly improved diet quality and self-concept (p=0.02 for both).

How the study worked

Who took part sedentary children and adolescents aged 9-15 years (n=38)
What they did Participants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured with cardiorespiratory fitness testing, Australian Child and Adolescent Eating Survey, Piers-Harris 2 children's self-concept scale

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: a head-to-head trial against an established treatment like CBT, and a larger sample to confirm the effect.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants38 people
Populationsedentary children and adolescents aged 9-15 years
Outcome measurescardiorespiratory fitness testing, Australian Child and Adolescent Eating Survey, Piers-Harris 2 children's self-concept scale
JournalBMC Pediatrics
Year2020
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / Tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Mayr, H., Cohen, F., & Isenring, E. (2020). Multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention in children and adolescents - results of the project GRIT (Growth, Resilience, Insights, Thrive) pilot study. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02069-x

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/Tapping.

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Multiple Conditions 38 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Of 38 recruited participants, 24 (63%)completed the 12-week intervention (whichincluded exercise, healthy eating… Outcome study · 38 participants Mayr · 2020 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com