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Discussion on "The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and ..."

The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and health-related behaviours in adults with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

I was looking at what mindfulness practice does for people who want to lose weight, and this meta-analysis paper of studies on the topic was helpful.  "Mindfulness training is commonly defined as an intervention that aims to foster non-judgmental and moment-to-moment awareness of the present experience... While mindfulness-based interventions focus on the awareness of thoughts, affects, and bodily sensations, acceptance-based and behavioural interventions focus on the acceptance of these cognitions, emotions, and sensations.  Furthermore, Brown and Ryan placed a strong emphasis on the self-regulatory function of mindfulness, which is characterised as 'being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present moment.'"  So, mindfulness training can help you not go on automatic and overeat without thinking.  Though there is no direct correlation between weight loss and mindfulness practices, they do help decrease impulsiveness around binge eating and emotional eating, and help with wanting to exercise more. 
Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions aim at training several skills such as awareness (i.e., noticing internal and external stimuli), disidentification (i.e., the ability to label thoughts as ‘just thoughts’ and to imagine having a distance from them), and acceptance (i.e., remain open to experiences without judgement). To understand the mechanisms of mindfulness training to manage food craving, Lacaille et al. conducted an experiment testing the effectiveness of each of the three core mindfulness skills. Results showed that disidentification may have the most important role in coping with food cravings when compared to awareness and acceptance. The ability to defuse from distractive food-related thoughts could be the most effective skill to reduce food cravings when compared to the ability to notice such thoughts or to accept them. Moreover, mindfulness includes a de-automation element (i.e., a skill to reduce automatic thoughts and behaviours) that can be effective in reducing of impulsive eating. In addition, given that impulsive eating among individuals with obesity is related to difficulties to cope with psychological distress, and that mindfulness is related to the reduction of stress and depressed mood, mindfulness training may be beneficial in the reduction of disordered eating by helping individuals manage their psychological distress. 

Mindfulness training (including acceptance-based interventions and behavioural interventions that include mindfulness training) has also been shown to increase physical activity level of sedentary individuals.

I found a nice, easy to read article on psychological defusing here .

Some interesting stats from the article:
  • 36.9% of men and 38.0% of women are overweight or obese.
  • Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder in individuals with overweight and obesity and is characterised by recurrent and persistent episodes of uncontrolled and disinhibited eating sustained by psychological distress without any compensatory behaviour.
  • Individuals with overweight and obesity tend to be more impulsive and report greater difficulties managing hedonic impulses compared to normal weight individuals. Furthermore, excess weight has been associated to the tendency to prefer smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed ones.
  • While it is known that disordered eating and low physical activity level lead to weight gain, recent results have suggested that disinhibited eating, binge eating, brain responses to food cues, and food intake regulation may be attenuated by increased physical activity level. This means that physical activity may be an appropriate intervention to manage weight gain and disordered eating patterns.

Other articles I've seen say that mindfulness practices helping with weight loss are only statistically significant in short 3 months studies, but not in the medium term or long term as far as weight loss.  I really wonder why that is. 

Did you find this helpful at all?

Re: Discussion on "The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and ..."

Reply #1 –
Yes I do! Thanks! I need to practice mindfulness to beat my binging!

Re: Discussion on "The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and ..."

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Marsia – on
I found a nice, easy to read article on psychological defusing here .
That was a really interesting article, Marsia. I only just clicked on the link & will look at it again tomorrow xo
 

Re: Discussion on "The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and ..."

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Cate – on
Quote from: Marsia – on
I found a nice, easy to read article on psychological defusing here .
That was a really interesting article, Marsia. I only just clicked on the link & will look at it again tomorrow xo

I'd love to know what you think.  What I am finding is that yes, our feelings are real and valid, but  the thoughts and conclusions we draw from them are not necessarily what we would want to follow, and also not necessarily true.  Like with craving sweets, yes, the feeling of wanting is a true feeling and a valid one.  It feels good to want an interesting taste that gives us an energy boost, but it isn't really true that we are necessarily going to feel deprived if we don't let ourselves have it, or that feeling privation is necessarily something to be avoided.  If instead we eat a really good pear and some cheese and wind up feeling so much better than we did with the sweet, is that privation?  Maybe the sense of pride at taking care of one's health and agency over our cravings can override the feelings that sugar addiction stirs within us, too, especially with practice. 

This article on defusing also mentions the that ACT motto I like - to only hold on to thoughts that are both true and helpful.  I have the book that these ideas mentioned in the article are taken from.  I think I'll read it soon.