Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of a Brief Mindful Eating Induction on Food Choices and Energy Intake: External Eating and Mindfulness State as Moderators

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Mindfulness Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mindfulness techniques have been shown to have protective effects on eating. However, no studies have been conducted on the effect of a single mindful eating (ME) induction on subsequent food choices and intake, and the way eating behaviors and the mindfulness state might moderate this effect. The objectives of the present study were to assess (1) the effect of an ME induction on food choices, intake, liking, and appetite, and (2) whether eating behaviors and the mindfulness state moderate the effect on intake. Seventy adult women (35.27 ± 1.27 years old; body mass index 22.79 ± 0.44 kg/m2) were invited to a tasting session. Participants in the mindful group received the instruction to taste the foods in a mindful manner (without meditation training). Participants in the control group were instructed to taste the foods with no specific recommendations. Afterwards, participants were offered an individual buffet-style snack containing the foods previously tasted. During this snack, the mindful group showed a reduced number of high-energy-dense food items eaten (p = .019) and a decreased energy intake (p = .024), compared to controls. No differences were found between groups on appetite and liking. Moderation analyses showed that the ME induction was able to reduce the total number of food items and energy intake in participants who combined higher levels of external eating and lower levels of mindfulness state. Results encourage the promotion of ME, particularly in external eaters with low mindfulness state levels, and they support ME as a strategy to promote healthy eating.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alberts, H. J., Thewissen, R., & Raes, L. (2012). Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite, 58(3), 847–851.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allirot, X., Saulais, L., Seyssel, K., Roth, H., Charrié, A., Drai, J., et al. (2013). An isocaloric increase of eating episodes in the morning contributes to decrease energy intake at lunch in lean men. Physiology & Behavior, 110-111, 169–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arch, J. J., Brown, K. W., Goodman, R. J., Della Porta, M. D., Kiken, L. G., & Tillman, S. (2016). Enjoying food without caloric cost: the impact of brief mindfulness on laboratory eating outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 79, 23–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. A., Fischer, S., & Huss, D. B. (2005). Mindfulness and acceptance in the treatment of disordered eating. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23(4), 281–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baños, R. M., Cebolla, A., Moragrega, I., Van Strien, T., Fernandez-Aranda, F., Aguera, Z., et al. (2014). Relationship between eating styles and temperament in an anorexia nervosa, healthy control, and morbid obesity female sample. Appetite, 76, 76–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, D. J., & Curran, P. J. (2005). Probing interactions in fixed and multilevel regression: inferential and graphical techniques. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 40(3), 373–400.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beshara, M., Hutchinson, A. D., & Wilson, C. (2013). Does mindfulness matter? Everyday mindfulness, mindful eating and self-reported serving size of energy dense foods among a sample of South Australian adults. Appetite, 67, 25–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burton, P., Smit, H. J., & Lightowler, H. J. (2007). The influence of restrained and external eating patterns on overeating. Appetite, 49(1), 191–197.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cebolla, A., Barrada, J. R., van Strien, T., Oliver, E., & Banos, R. (2014). Validation of the Dutch eating behavior questionnaire (DEBQ) in a sample of Spanish women. Appetite, 73, 58–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dalen, J., Smith, B. W., Shelley, B. M., Sloan, A. L., Leahigh, L., & Begay, D. (2010). Pilot study: mindful eating and living (MEAL): weight, eating behavior, and psychological outcomes associated with a mindfulness-based intervention for people with obesity. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 18(6), 260–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epel, E. S., Tomiyama, A. J., Mason, A. E., Laraia, B. A., Hartman, W., Ready, K., et al. (2014). The reward-based eating drive scale: a self-report index of reward-based eating. PloS One, 9(6), e101350.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, N., Lattimore, P., & Malinowski, P. (2016). Attention with a mindful attitude attenuates subjective appetitive reactions and food intake following food-cue exposure. Appetite, 99, 10–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fung, T. T., Long, M. W., Hung, P., & Cheung, L. W. (2016). An expanded model for mindful eating for health promotion and sustainability: Issues and challenges for dietetics practice. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(7), 1081–1086.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gotink, R. A., Chu, P., Busschbach, J. J., Benson, H., Fricchione, G. L., & Hunink, M. G. (2015). Standardised mindfulness-based interventions in healthcare: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs. PloS One, 10(4), e0124344.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grieger, J. A., Wycherley, T. P., Johnson, B. J., & Golley, R. K. (2016). Discrete strategies to reduce intake of discretionary food choices: a scoping review. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13(1), 57.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grimm, E. R., & Steinle, N. I. (2011). Genetics of eating behavior: established and emerging concepts. Nutrition Reviews, 69(1), 52–60.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: a regression-based approach. New-York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong, P. Y., Lishner, D. A., & Han, K. H. (2014). Mindfulness and eating: an experiment examining the effect of mindful raisin eating on the enjoyment of sampled food. Mindfulness, 5(1), 80–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, K. T., & Tapper, K. (2014). Resisting chocolate temptation using a brief mindfulness strategy. British Journal of Health Psychology, 19(3), 509–522.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, C. H., Wang, W., Donatoni, L., & Meier, B. P. (2014). Mindful eating: trait and state mindfulness predict healthier eating behavior. Personality and Individual Diferences, 68, 107–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kristeller, J. L., & Wolever, R. Q. (2011). Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for treating binge eating disorder: the conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders, 19(1), 49–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, J. K., van Strien, T., Eisinga, R., & Engels, R. C. (2006). Gender differences in the association between alexithymia and emotional eating in obese individuals. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60(3), 237–243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lattimore, P., Fisher, N., & Malinowski, P. (2011). A cross-sectional investigation of trait disinhibition and its association with mindfulness and impulsivity. Appetite, 56(2), 241–248.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2015). Mindfulness, eating behaviours, and obesity: a review and reflection on current findings. Current Obesity Reports, 4(1), 141–146.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marchiori, D., & Papies, E. K. (2014). A brief mindfulness intervention reduces unhealthy eating when hungry, but not the portion size effect. Appetite, 75, 40–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. (2016). Trends in adult body-mass index in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014: a pooled analysis of 1698 population-based measurement studies with 19.2 million participants. The Lancet, 387(10026), 1377–1396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Reilly, G. A., Cook, L., Spruijt-Metz, D., & Black, D. S. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: a literature review. Obesity Reviews, 15(6), 453–461.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ouwens, M. A., Schiffer, A. A., Visser, L. I., Raeijmaekers, N. J., & Nyklicek, I. (2015). Mindfulness and eating behaviour styles in morbidly obese males and females. Appetite, 87, 62–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Papies, E. K., Barsalou, L. W., & Custers, R. (2012). Mindful attention prevents mindless impulses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3), 291–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papies, E. K., Pronk, T. M., Keesman, M., & Barsalou, L. W. (2015). The benefits of simply observing: mindful attention modulates the link between motivation and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(1), 148–170.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phan, U. T., & Chamber, E. (2016). Motivations for choosing various food groups based on individual foods. Appetite, 105, 204–211.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pidgeon, A., Lacota, K., & Champion, J. (2013). The moderating effects of mindfulness on psychological distress and emotional eating behaviour. Australian Psychologist, 48(4), 262–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schachter, S., & Rodin, J. (1974). Obese humans and rats. Oxford: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tak, S. R., Hendrieckx, C., Nefs, G., Nyklicek, I., Speight, J., & Pouwer, F. (2015). The association between types of eating behaviour and dispositional mindfulness in adults with diabetes. Results from diabetes MILES. The Netherlands. Appetite, 87, 288–295.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tanay, G., & Bernstein, A. (2013). State mindfulness scale (SMS): development and initial validation. Psychological Assessment, 25(4), 1286–1299.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Timmerman, G. M., & Brown, A. (2012). The effect of a mindful restaurant eating intervention on weight management in women. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 44(1), 22–28.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • van Strien, T., Frijters, J., Bergers, G., & Defares, P. (1986). The Dutch eating behavior questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(2), 295–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Strien, T., Herman, C. P., & Verheijden, M. W. (2009). Eating style, overeating, and overweight in a representative Dutch sample. Does external eating play a role? Appetite, 52(2), 380–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Strien, T., Herman, C. P., Anschutz, D. J., Engels, R. C., & de Weerth, C. (2012). Moderation of distress-induced eating by emotional eating scores. Appetite, 58(1), 277–284.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Strien, T., Cebolla, A., Etchemendy, E., Gutirrez-Maldonado, J., Ferrer-Garcia, M., Botella, C., et al. (2013). Emotional eating and food intake after sadness and joy. Appetite, 66, 20–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Chef Iñigo Cojo for his technical help in the elaboration of the recipes. We are also grateful for the support from the members of the Basque Culinary Center, who helped in the different steps of the study. CIBERobn is an initiative of the ISCIII.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Basque Culinary Center, BCC INNOVATION, Paseo Juan Avelino Barriola, 101 – 20009, San Sebastián, Spain

    Xavier Allirot, Iñigo Perdices & Elena Urdaneta

  2. Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain

    Marta Miragall, Rosa Maria Baños & Ausias Cebolla

  3. CIBERObn Ciber Fisiopatologia de la obesidad y la nutrición, Instituto Carlos III, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Rosa Maria Baños & Ausias Cebolla

Authors
  1. Xavier Allirot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marta Miragall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Iñigo Perdices
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rosa Maria Baños
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Elena Urdaneta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ausias Cebolla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

XA designed and executed the study, assisted with the data analysis, and wrote the paper. MM analyzed the data and assisted in writing the paper. IP collaborated with the design and executed the study. RMB and EU collaborated with the design and edited the final manuscript. AC designed the study, assisted with data analysis, and wrote the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xavier Allirot.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Allirot, X., Miragall, M., Perdices, I. et al. Effects of a Brief Mindful Eating Induction on Food Choices and Energy Intake: External Eating and Mindfulness State as Moderators. Mindfulness 9, 750–760 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0812-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0812-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation