Emotional Eating
Conditions
Keywords
Emotional Eating, Mindfulness, Emotional Appetite, Mindful Eating
Brief summary
This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention program called the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program. The program is designed to reduce emotional eating behaviors in adults. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group attended a 7-week online program with weekly sessions that included psychoeducation, mindfulness exercises (such as body scan and breath awareness), experiential activities, and group discussions. Data were collected at three time points: before the intervention, after the 7th week, and at a 3-month follow-up. Emotional eating, mindful eating, and emotional appetite levels were measured. Results showed that the MB-EER program effectively reduced emotional eating and emotional appetite while increasing mindful eating.
Detailed description
This study aims to develop and evaluate a mindfulness-based intervention program (MB-EER) designed to reduce emotional eating behavior. The program was structured based on needs analyses conducted with experts and individuals with emotional eating experiences. The MB-EER Program consists of 7 weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 2 hours, conducted online. Each session includes psychoeducational content, mindfulness-based practices (e.g., breath awareness, body scan), experiential activities, and group sharing. Session Overview: Focus on How You Eat - Differentiating emotional eating from physical hunger; raisin exercise Recognizing Autopilot - Emotional triggers and automatic eating behaviors Attention to Cues - Internal and external stimuli influencing eating behavior Hunger and Fullness Signals - Awareness of body signals; water-drinking practice Body Awareness and Self-Compassion - Developing supportive attitudes toward the body Cultural Beliefs and Eating History - Social rules and learned eating habits Maintenance and Reflection - Ensuring sustainability of skills, personal awareness Research Design: This study used a mixed-methods design, including both the development and experimental evaluation of the program: Program Development Phase Experimental Evaluation Phase Quantitative design: The experimental phase used a true experimental pre-test-post-test-follow-up control group design. Qualitative data were embedded throughout the process using semi-structured forms. Participant Selection and Assignment: Out of 135 initial applicants, Emotional Eating Scale (EES) scores were calculated and converted into Z scores using SPSS, since the scale lacks a clinical cut-off. 91 participants falling within ±2 SD were considered eligible and assessed for exclusion criteria. 8 individuals were excluded due to diagnosed eating disorders (e.g., bulimia, binge eating) 12 were excluded due to chronic conditions affecting appetite regulation (e.g., Hashimoto's, diabetes, thyroid) 2 individuals could not commit to the program From the remaining 69 eligible participants, 40 were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (20 each). However, due to dropouts during the process: 15 participants in the experimental group 15 participants in the control group completed the full study process and provided data at all time points. Implementation: The MB-EER program was delivered to the experimental group by the lead researcher. Sessions were held online (Zoom) over 7 weeks, once per week. The control group received no intervention. All participants completed measurements at three points: Pre-test (before the intervention) Post-test (end of Week 7) Follow-up test (3 months later) Data Collection Instruments: Emotional Eating Scale (EES-30) Mindful Eating Scale (MES-30) Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ-22) Data Analysis: Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v26.0 Parametric tests were used as normality assumptions were met Statistical procedures included: Two-factor mixed ANOVA Wilks' Lambda multivariate repeated measures (MANOVA) Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons Qualitative data were evaluated using content and descriptive analysis Findings: The main hypothesis of the study was that the MB-EER Program is effective in reducing emotional eating and emotional appetite and improving mindful eating. This hypothesis was tested by comparing pre-, post-, and follow-up scores between experimental and control groups.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction Program (MB-EER)
The MB-EER program was delivered to participants in the intervention arm over 7 weeks. Each session lasted 2 hours and was conducted weekly via Zoom. Participants attended in small groups, and sessions were led by trained facilitators. The intervention focused on guided mindfulness practices, mindful eating exercises, and group discussions.
Sponsors
tuğba çolak
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Only participants were blinded to their group assignment. The investigator and outcomes assessor were aware of group allocations.
Intervention model description
This study was conducted using a parallel-group experimental design with random assignment. Participants were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received a 7-week Mindfulness-Based Emotional Eating Reduction (MB-EER) Program, while the control group received no intervention. Assessments were conducted at pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adults aged 18 and older Individuals reporting high levels of emotional eating Willingness to participate in a 7-week online intervention program Access to a computer and stable internet connection Completion of informed consent form
Exclusion criteria
* Current diagnosis of an eating disorder (e.g., bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder) Diagnosis of a chronic medical condition that affects appetite (e.g., diabetes, thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto's disease) Pregnancy Inability to commit to regular attendance in the 7-week program Participation in another psychological intervention during the study period
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Emotional Eating Score (EES-30) from Baseline to Follow-up | Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12) | The scale developed by Bilgen (2018) was adapted to reveal the relationship between emotions and eating. The scale consists of 4 sub-dimensions (Eating in Tense Situations, Eating to Cope with Negative Emotions, Self-Control, and Control in the Face of Stimuli). The scale is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and the items consist of Never (1), Rarely (2), Sometimes (3), 'Often (4)' and 'Always (5)' options. Both the sub-dimensions and the whole scale give a total score, and it is concluded that the higher the score obtained from the scale, the higher the emotional eating tendencies. The highest score that can be obtained from the scale is 150, and the lowest score is 30. The scale has a total of 30 items and three reverse-coded items. The Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale for this study was calculated as .92. |
| Mindful eating questionnaire (MEQ-30) | Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12) | The Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) is a 30-item self-report scale adapted to Turkish by Köse et al. (2016). It includes seven subscales: Disinhibition, Emotional Eating, Eating Control, Focusing, Eating Discipline, Mindfulness, and Interference. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Always). Higher scores indicate greater mindful eating. Twenty items are reverse-coded. Cronbach's alpha = .72. |
| Emotional appetite questionnaire (EAQ-22) | Change from Baseline (Week 0) to Post-test (Week 7) and Follow-up (Week 12) | The Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ-22), validated in Turkish by Demirel et al. (2014), is a 22-item self-report scale assessing appetite changes in response to emotional states and situations. Items are rated from 1 to 9: 1-4 = less appetite, 5 = no change, 6-9 = more appetite. Subscales include emotions (14 items) and situations (8 items), each split into positive and negative categories. Higher scores indicate greater emotional appetite. Cronbach's alpha = .71. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed