Feeding Behavior, Obesity
Conditions
Brief summary
The investigators propose to study the effect of mindfulness training on the eating behaviors and dietary intake of overweight or obese persons. Mindfulness skills training involves bringing non-judgmental attention to thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations - including hunger and satiety cues. It is hypothesized that as subjects advance through the 8-week class series, developing their capacity for mindfulness and in effect learn to pay attention to the sensations, assumptions, cognitions, and beliefs that underlie their eating behaviors, that their eating behaviors will improve. Specifically, the investigators hypothesize that 1) there will be significant improvements in the areas of uncontrolled and emotional eating, 2) there will be significant decreases in total caloric intake and significant increases in fruits and vegetables, and 3) there will be a positive significant relationship between the frequency/consistency of mindfulness practice and improvements from baseline to follow-up measures.
Interventions
An eight week course designed to teach mindfulness skills with an emphasis on mindful eating.
Sponsors
Study design
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Body Mass Index (BMI) \> 26
Exclusion criteria
* Psychotic disorders * Poorly controlled bipolar disorder * Borderline or antisocial personality disorder * A diagnosed eating disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Eating behaviors | baseline, 2 months, 5 months | The TFEQ will be administered. Subscales for emotional eating, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restraint will be assessed |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Nutrition intake | baseline, 2 months, 5 months | The ASA-24 and the DHQ will be administered to assess nutritional intake |