Mindful Eating and Living for Obese Women

Background: Mindfulness-based interventions may be effective in reducing the stress that may increase both obesity and inflammation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a mindful eating intervention on weight loss and health-related outcomes. Methods: Thirty-six obese, postmenopausal women were randomized to a six-week Mindful Eating and Living (MEAL) intervention or an active control group (CONT) consisting of nutritional counseling, goal setting, and group support. Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), binge eating, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed at baseline and four follow-up periods up to one year. Results: Multilevel analyses showed that the MEAL group had reductions in weight, BMI, WHR, binge eating, IL-6, and CRP; the CONT group had reductions in weight, BMI, and binge eating. The reductions in binge eating, IL-6, and CRP were greater for the MEAL as compared with the CONT group. Conclusions: This study suggests that a mindfulness-based eating intervention may promote weight loss and reduce a variety of health-related risk factors in post-menopausal women who are obese.