Korean J Health Promot.  2019 Dec;19(4):186-195. 10.15384/kjhp.2019.19.4.186.

A Structured Literature Review on the Role of Mindfulness Intervention in Weight Control

• Paek YJ
• Ok J
• Lee ES

• KMID: 2469165
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2019.19.4.186

Abstract

Mindfulness training is growing in popularity as an adjunctive intervention in disordered eating and weight loss. Lifestyle modification, pharmacologic treatment, and surgical intervention have been widely used for weight reduction in obese persons, but these modifications are sometimes insufficient. In particular, stress-induced eating and binge-eating disorder have been frequently associated with increased risk of regaining weight. Initial research suggests that mindfulness training may be an effective intervention for binge eating. In this article, we reviewed 19 studies that investigated mindfulness training as an intervention for weight change and/or emotional eating. Results suggest that mindfulness training effectively decreases emotional eating in persons with good adherence to the training; evidence for its effect on weight reduction, however, is mixed. Further large-scale studies are warranted to explore the effectiveness of mindfulness training on long-term weight loss and emotional eating in persons with obesity.

Keyword

Obesity; Overweight; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Mindfulness; Emotional; Weight reduction program

MeSH Terms

Binge-Eating Disorder
Bulimia
Cognitive Therapy
Eating
Humans
Life Style
Mindfulness*
Obesity
Overweight
Weight Loss
Weight Reduction Programs

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  Figure 1 Flow chart for article selection. KISS, Korean Studies Information service System; KMBASE, Korean Medical Database; RISS, Research Information Sharing Service.

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