How Effective Are Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Reducing Stress and Weight? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Elena Sosa‐Cordobés, Juan Diego Ramos‐Pichardo, José Luis Sánchez‐Ramos, Francisca María García Padilla, Elia Fernández Martínez, Almudena Garrido‐Fernández
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health December 27, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010446 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults participating in mindfulness-based intervention studies |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Duration | Outcomes assessed in the short term (up to 3 months), medium term, and long term |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 28 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions produced a small short-term reduction in stress (standardized mean difference = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.49, -0.10) over 3 months, but no significant evidence of stress reduction from 3 months onward or of weight or body mass index reduction in any period. |
Abstract
Stress contributes to the development and maintenance of obesity. Mindfulness-based therapies are being used to reduce stress and promote weight reduction and maintenance. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for stress and weight reduction in the short, medium, and long term. Searches on PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and Science Direct were conducted until March 2021. Intervention studies with a sample of adults were included; these evaluated a mindfulness-based intervention and used stress and weight or body mass index as outcome variables. These criteria were met by 13 articles. A meta-analysis of 8 of the 13 articles was performed with a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the level of heterogeneity between studies. Mindfulness-based interventions had a small effect on stress reduction over a 3-month period: effect size (standardized mean difference) = -0.29 (95% CI: -0.49, -0.10). However, no significant evidence was found for stress reduction from 3 months onwards, nor for weight or body mass index reduction in any period. Mindfulness-based interventions are effective in reducing stress in the short term, but not in the medium or long term, nor are they effective for weight or body mass index. More robust and longer study designs are needed to determine their effects.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The relationship between neuroticism as a personality trait and mindfulness skills: a scoping review Frontiers in Psychology November 15, 2024
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on food craving in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials BMC Psychology September 25, 2025
- Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Perceived Stress in Women With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies Archives of Breast Cancer July 25, 2026
- Effects of mindfulness and mindful eating on food intake and appetite: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review June 16, 2026
- Mindfulness therapy for patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Practice December 1, 2024
Cites 13
- The Cultural Relevance of Mindfulness Meditation as a Health Intervention for African Americans Journal of Holistic Nursing January 17, 2014
- Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Mindfulness Meditation Intervention Among Women: Intervention Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth June 2, 2020
- One-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial Piloting a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Adolescent Insulin Resistance Frontiers in Psychology May 8, 2019
- The Mindfulness App Trial for Weight, Weight-Related Behaviors, and Stress in University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR mHealth and uHealth April 1, 2019
- Mindfulness-based emotional eating awareness training: taking the emotional out of eating. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity March 11, 2019
and 8 more in the library