Effects of Mindful Eating in Patients with Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder

Abstract

Introduction: Binge eating disorder (BED) is a psychiatric illness related to a high frequency of episodes of binge eating, loss of control, body image dissatisfaction, and suffering caused by overeating. It is estimated that 30% of patients with BED are affected by obesity. “Mindful eating” (ME) is a promising new eating technique that can improve self-control and good food choices, helping to increase awareness about the triggers of binge eating episodes and intuitive eating training. Objectives: To analyze the impact of ME on episodes of binge eating, body image dissatisfaction, quality of life, eating habits, and anthropometric data [weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference] in patients with obesity and BED. Method: This quantitative, prospective, longitudinal, and experimental study recruited 82 patients diagnosed with obesity and BED. The intervention was divided into eight individual weekly meetings, guided by ME sessions, nutritional educational dynamics, cooking workshops, food sensory analyses, and applications of questionnaires [Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ); Binge Eating Scale (BES); Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF)]. There was no dietary prescription for calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber. Patients were only encouraged to consume fewer ultra-processed foods and more natural and minimally processed foods. The meetings occurred from October to November 2023. Statistical analysis: To carry out inferential statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test was used to verify the normality of variable distribution. All variables were identified as non-normal distribution and were compared between the first and the eighth week using a two-tailed Wilcoxon test. Non-Gaussian data were represented by median ± interquartile range (IQR). Additionally, α < 0.05 and p < 0.05 were adopted. Results: Significant reductions were found from the first to the eighth week for weight, BMI, waist circumference, episodes of binge eating, BSQ scale score, BES score, and total energy value (all p < 0.0001). In contrast, there was a significant increase in the WHOQOL-BREF score and daily water intake (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: ME improved anthropometric data, episodes of binge eating, body image dissatisfaction, eating habits, and quality of life in participants with obesity and BED in the short-term. However, an extension of the project will be necessary to analyze the impact of the intervention in the long-term.

The Impact of a Nutritional Intervention on Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Type 2 Diabetes

“…Lifestyle changes can involve various simple strategies that do not require public spending and/or major logistical complexities [23,25]. There are several factors that can impact postprandial blood glucose that should be considered when treating a patient with T2D, such as (1) the individual's glycemic response, which is highly correlated with genetics and microbiota [47]; (2) the method of preparation and the cooking time of carbohydrate-source foods [24]; (3) the addition of other types of foods to the meal, such as vegetables, legumes, proteins, poly-and monounsaturated fats, and even water (or other liquids) [10,23,24]; (4) the order of the ingestion of these foods [48,49]; (5) the daytime feeding windows [50]; (6) stress management and sleep deprivation [51]; (7) the encouragement to practice postprandial physical exercises [52,53]; and (8) the mindful eating and chewing of food [54][55][56].…”

“…In addition to the development of a meal plan, other subjective practices have been gaining prominence in the literature to mitigate dietary intake and indirectly impact weight loss [10]. This is the case with mindful eating, which consists of (1) having full attention during meals; (2) observing food in a gentle and non-judgmental way; (3) respecting hunger and satiety signals; (4) chewing, appreciating the textures and the flavors of food; (5) turning off the TV, cell phone, and radio during meals; (6) worrying about the origin and quality of food; (7) recognizing the importance of taking care of your body; and (8) eating in company [55,56]. The patient can also learn to identify the causes of food intake, applying the use of a food diary [23].…”

“…Furthermore, although emerging and economically viable strategies present good results, there are still few studies that point out large effects and robust sample representativeness, especially in the long term [47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. In this sense, the main motivation for the execution of the project came from the premise of carrying out a dietary intervention that would significantly impact the lives of patients of the Unified Health System (also called the SUS) of the Outpatient Clinic of the Base Hospital (FUNFARME), in São José do Rio Preto, SP/Brazil.…”

“…Recent studies suggest that increased mindfulness and proper chewing during meals can contribute to greater satiety and can consequently impact the reduction of the total energy value ingested. Indirectly, such a technique can optimize weight loss, the BMI, and waist circumference, becoming a simple tool to be adopted in the context of public health [55]. However, there are still controversies about how much this could actually impact anthropometric parameters, and more studies are necessary [10].…”