Impact of nutrition education and mindful breathing on binge eating, dietary intake, and body weight

The impact of an 8-Week Nutrition Education and Mindful Breathing Intervention on Binge Eating Behaviors, Dietary Intake, and Body Weight

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

LBCTR

Registry ID

LBCTR2025065729

Enrollment

Registered

2025-08-08

Start date

2025-07-14

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-02-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Binge eating: a maladaptive coping mechanism that leads to excessive consumption of energy-dense foods.

Interventions

The intervention group will receive weekly group session on nutrition education and mindful breathing training for 4 weeks in addition to a daily breathing exercise audio on WhatsApp. This will be fol

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Adults aged 18 to 65 years, BMI = 25 kg/m² (overweight or obese), BES score > 18 (indicating moderate to severe binge eating), Ability to provide informed consent and commit to an 8-week intervention.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Pregnant or lactating women, Current participation in other weight loss or psychological interventions, Medical conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, or stomach ulcers that could interfere with breathing exercises, Use of medications that influence appetite or weight (e.g., corticosteroids, weight loss medications) or pharmacotherapy for the treatment of Binge Eating Disorder. LAU students taking courses with the PI or co-PI will be excluded. The list of potential participants will be screened to ensure the students are properly excluded.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Name: Binge eating;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8. ;Measure: Assessed using the binge eating scale (BES). The Arabic BES demonstrates excellent validity among Lebanese adults for screening for binge eating behaviors. The BES is a self-report scale consisting of 16 items that assess behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of binge eating. Each item contains three or four statements, which reflect a range of severity from no problems (scored as 0) to severe problems (scored as 3). Based on the BES scores, uncontrolled eating behaviors can be classified into three different severity categories: individuals scoring 0–17 are considered non-binge eaters; those scoring 18–26 are categorized as moderate binge eaters; and individuals with scores ranging from 27 to 46 are classified as severe binge eaters. ;Name: Dietary intake;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Assessed using 24-hour dietary recall conducted twice: on one weekday and one weekend day. Data will be collected via Whatsapp Video call. To enhance accuracy, the multiple pass method will be utilized by a well-trained interviewer, who is a licensed dietitian. Visual portion-size guides and digital recording will be employed to assist participants in accurately estimating portion sizes. Daily energy intake will be expressed as Kcal/kg of body weight, and nutrient intake will be reported as % of total energy, specifically % calories from simple sugars. Collected dietary data will be analyzed using NUTRITIONIST PRO™ diet analysis software.;Name: Weight loss;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Measured as the difference in weight by a licensed dietitian, using a calibrated scale.	—

Measure

Time frame

Name: Binge eating;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8. ;Measure: Assessed using the binge eating scale (BES). The Arabic BES demonstrates excellent validity among Lebanese adults for screening for binge eating behaviors. The BES is a self-report scale consisting of 16 items that assess behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of binge eating. Each item contains three or four statements, which reflect a range of severity from no problems (scored as 0) to severe problems (scored as 3). Based on the BES scores, uncontrolled eating behaviors can be classified into three different severity categories: individuals scoring 0–17 are considered non-binge eaters; those scoring 18–26 are categorized as moderate binge eaters; and individuals with scores ranging from 27 to 46 are classified as severe binge eaters. ;Name: Dietary intake;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Assessed using 24-hour dietary recall conducted twice: on one weekday and one weekend day. Data will be collected via Whatsapp Video call. To enhance accuracy, the multiple pass method will be utilized by a well-trained interviewer, who is a licensed dietitian. Visual portion-size guides and digital recording will be employed to assist participants in accurately estimating portion sizes. Daily energy intake will be expressed as Kcal/kg of body weight, and nutrient intake will be reported as % of total energy, specifically % calories from simple sugars. Collected dietary data will be analyzed using NUTRITIONIST PRO™ diet analysis software.;Name: Weight loss;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Measured as the difference in weight by a licensed dietitian, using a calibrated scale.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Name: Mindfulness levels;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Assessed using the Arabic version of the short-form Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). The Arabic version of the FMI was validated in Lebanese adults and assesses the level of mindfulness in individuals, particularly their ability to maintain awareness in daily life and accept experiences without judgment. This tool consists of 14 items assessing facets like awareness, attention, and acceptance that are rated on a 4-point frequency based responses, rarely, sometimes, often and almost always, with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness. This tool shows high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92.;Name: Stress;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8. ;Measure: Measured using the Beirut Distress Scale (BDS-10). The BDS-10 is the short, Arabic validated version in Lebanese adults. It includes 10 items related to feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress, with each item rated on a 5-point scale. Answer options are never, slightly, moderately, a lot/ frequently. The BDS shows high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha = 0.954.	—

Measure

Time frame

Name: Mindfulness levels;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8;Measure: Assessed using the Arabic version of the short-form Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). The Arabic version of the FMI was validated in Lebanese adults and assesses the level of mindfulness in individuals, particularly their ability to maintain awareness in daily life and accept experiences without judgment. This tool consists of 14 items assessing facets like awareness, attention, and acceptance that are rated on a 4-point frequency based responses, rarely, sometimes, often and almost always, with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness. This tool shows high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92.;Name: Stress;Timepoints: Baseline, week 4, and week 8. ;Measure: Measured using the Beirut Distress Scale (BDS-10). The BDS-10 is the short, Arabic validated version in Lebanese adults. It includes 10 items related to feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress, with each item rated on a 5-point scale. Answer options are never, slightly, moderately, a lot/ frequently. The BDS shows high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha = 0.954.

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Contacts

Public ContactRana Rizk

Lebanese American University

rana.rizk01@lau.edu.lb01786456 ext. 3741

Outcome results

None listed

Source: LBCTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 7, 2026