COMPARING MINDFULNESS-ENRICHED WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TO CURRENT STANDARD PRACTICES

Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective for numerous diet-related conditions. Mindfulness skills have been theorized to be helpful in improving eating behaviors, and thereby weight management. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a mindfulness-enriched weight management program to a standard weight loss program over the course of a 12-week intervention, and weight maintenance over six months. This was a two-group randomized experimental design. One group received a standard weight loss program, while the other group received the same program with an additional mindfulness component. Follow up assessments were conducted twice at three-month intervals. Fifty-three adults with a BMI between 28 and 45 kg/m2 enrolled. Both programs produced significant weight loss. However, the two groups were not significantly different at twelve weeks. Mindful eating scores and weight loss were significantly correlated in the mindful group (R=-0.358, p=0.044), but not the standard group (R=0.735, p=0.060). A change in mindful eating was correlated with weight loss in women (R=0.444, p=0.008), but not men (R=-0.833, p=0.167) in the entire sample. The differences in weight maintenance between the two groups were not significantly different at the two follow-up assessments. Additional exploration of mindfulness and weight control is needed