An exploratory study of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for emotional eating.
Emily Levoy, Asimina Lazaridou, Judson A. Brewer, Carl Fulwiler
Appetite February 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two sequential uncontrolled pre-post survey studies Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | General population of individuals taking the MBSR program |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Behavior change Weight loss |
| Key findings | Emotional eating scores were significantly lower after MBSR than before it in both Study 1 and Study 2 (both p < 0.001), and in Study 2 changes in mindfulness were correlated with changes in emotional eating (r = 0.317, p = 0.004). The authors suggest MBSR may be an effective intervention for emotional eating and that further research is warranted to examine effects on weight loss and maintenance. |
Abstract
Emotional eating is an important predictor of weight loss and weight regain after weight loss. This two part study's primary aim was to explore changes in emotional eating in a general population of individuals taking the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, with a secondary aim to explore whether changes in mindfulness predicted changes in emotional eating. Self-reported survey data exploring these questions were collected before and after the intervention for two sequential studies (Study 1 and Study 2). While there were no control groups for either study, in both studies emotional eating scores following the MBSR were significantly lower than scores prior to taking the MBSR (p < 0.001; p < 0.001) In Study 2, changes in mindfulness were correlated with changes in emotional eating (r = 0.317, p = 0.004). These results suggest that MBSR may be an effective intervention for emotional eating, and that further research is warranted to examine effects on weight loss and maintenance.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Depressive Symptoms and Emotional Eating: Mediated by Mindfulness? Mindfulness August 15, 2018
- Nourish to Flourish: A mindful eating intervention for older adults improves dietary awareness and well-being. Nutrition and health July 17, 2026
- Stress-Reducing Effects of Playing a Casual Video Game among Undergraduate Students Trends in Psychology March 11, 2021
- 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
Cites 6
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- An empirical study of the mechanisms of mindfulness in a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program Journal of Clinical Psychology March 6, 2009
- Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: a literature review. Obesity Reviews March 18, 2014
- Mindfulness Intervention for Stress Eating to Reduce Cortisol and Abdominal Fat among Overweight and Obese Women: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study Journal of Obesity November 1, 2011
- Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: results from a randomized controlled trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 1, 2011
and 1 more in the library