Mindful Eating

Definition

Some dietitians describe mindful eating as focusing on the actual acts involved in food preparation and meal consumption rather than multitasking while cooking or eating. The theory underlying this definition of mindful eating is that distractions caused by such other activities as reading, watching television, or working at the computer while eating interfere with the body's messages to the brain about satisfaction with the food and fullness, thus, increasing the risk of overeating.

Purpose

Mindful eating grew out of research carried out since 1980 of the effects of mindfulness practice on a range of health issues, including stress-related illness, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and heart disease. Mindful eating is considered a complementary alternative medicine (CAM) approach to the treatment of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and eating disorders.

History

Mindfulness as a meditative practice originated in Buddhism, and has been taught in the West by such psychologists as Jack Kornfield (1945– ) and Joseph Goldstein (1944– ). The application of mindfulness practice to clinical illness, however, is usually credited to Jon Kabat-Zinn (1944– ), the founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn's 1991 publication of Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, a paperback book intended for the general public, aroused interest in the application of mindfulness practice to such concerns as eating disorders and obesity as well as chronic pain and traumatic injury, Kabat-Zinn's original focus.

KEY TERMS
Bariatric—
Related to or specializing in the treatment of obesity.
Complementary alternative medicine (CAM)—
A group of medical practices and/or products not considered standard care for a variety of diseases and conditions. Examples include acupuncture, herbal medicine, and chiropractic care.
Cue—
In psychology, a sensory signal that triggers a learned response of some kind. Cues related to eating may involve the smell, taste, or sight of food, or even the sounds of cooking or meal preparation.
Mindfulness—
A nonjudgmental conscious awareness of one's present thoughts, feelings, surroundings, and physical sensations.

Description

There is no single overall program for mindful eating. The practice involves a combination of approaches including research, support, and communication with support professionals and peers.

General principles

In general, mindful eating is based on the following components:

Mindful eating is also individualistic. People who take this approach to food and nutrition are invited to trust their own inner wisdom about food likes and dislikes; to choose foods that are pleasing to their senses as well as nourishing to their bodies; to accept their particular food preferences without judgment; to practice awareness of their body's specific signals to begin eating and stop eating; and to understand that their food preferences and eating experiences are unique to them.

The CAMP system

The CAMP system is a more structured approach to weight management that incorporates mindful eating within a larger framework of self-help psychology and specific strategies for coping with temptations to mindless eating. It places greater emphasis on control and power issues than most other discussions of mindful eating.

CAMP is an acronym for Control, Attitudes, Mindful eating, and Portion control. Together, these components can help an individual to regain control over food.

An exercise in mindful eating

A common way to introduce the concept of mindful eating to people who are new to it (or to mindfulness practice in general) is an exercise in consuming food mindfully. The following exercise is to be done with a friend; one person reads the instructions while the other carries out the steps in the exercise. Participants need two small slices of apple, one for each person.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR

The point of this exercise is not to consume all meals this carefully, but rather to learn more about a person's own eating habits and attitudes toward food. Other exercises that can be done to practice mindfulness while eating include:

Preparation

Risks

There are no known risks to practicing mindful eating, and no reports of malnutrition or other health problems arising from this approach as of 2017.

As with any CAM therapy or treatment, people considering mindful eating should consult their primary care physician. They may also wish to consult a dietitian, as the public health/community nutrition dietetic practice group (DPG) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has recommended that its members incorporate mindful eating into their nutritional counseling.

A person under medical supervision for type 2 diabetes, eating disorders, or obesity should consult their doctor while practicing mindful eating. A dietitian knowledgeable about this approach to food and nutrition may provide additional nutritional education and counseling.

Results

Research studies on mindful eating report that it is helpful in treating some obese patients seeking to lose weight, some older adults diagnosed with binge eating disorder, and some college students diagnosed with eating disorders. There are, however, no large population studies that have reported on the effectiveness of mindful eating compared to weight loss surgery or other mainstream approaches to weight management as of 2017.

Fewer than two dozen articles about mindful eating have been published in mainstream medical journals as of 2017, probably because this approach to eating and nutrition is considered a CAM form of therapy and is less than 30 years old.

Mindful eating is intended to be a lifelong approach to food and nutrition that can be extended to other aspects of a person's life.

Resources

BOOKS

Albers, Susan. Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful: How to End Your Struggle with Mindless Eating and Start Savoring Food with Intention and Joy. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2009.

Bays, Jan Chozen. Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food. Boston: Shambhala, 2009.

Cheung, Lilian W.Y. Mindful Eating, Mindful Life: Savour Every Moment and Every Bite. New York: Hay House Publishing, 2011.

Gauding, Madonna. The Mindfulness Diet: Using Mindfulness Techniques to Heal Your Relationship with Food. East Sussex: Ivy Books, 2010.

Hanh, Thich Nhat, and Lilian Cheung. Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. New York: HarperOne, 2011.

Somov, Pavel G. Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time. New Harbinger Publications, 2008.

PERIODICALS

Framson, C., et al. “Development and Validation of the Mindful Eating Questionnaire.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109 (August 2009): 1439–44.

Hammond, M. “Mindful Eating: Tuning In to Your Food.” Diabetes Self-Management 24 (March/April 2007): 36–40.

Lavender, J.M., et al. “Bulimic Symptoms in Undergraduate Men and Women: Contributions of Mindfulness and Thought Suppression.” Eating Behaviors 10 (December 2009): 228–31.

Mathieu, J. “What Should You Know about Mindful and Intuitive Eating?” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109 (December 2009): 1982–7.

WEBSITES

Bishop, Scott R., et al. “Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition.” Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 11 (Fall 2004): 230–41. http://www.personal.kent.edu/~dfresco/mindfulness/Bishop_et_al.pdf (accessed January 20, 2017).

Bly, Terri, et al. “Exploring the Use of Mindful Eating Training in the Bariatric Population.” Bariatric Times (December 10, 2007). http://bariatrictimes.com/exploring-the-use-ofmindful-eating-training-in-the-bariatric-population/ (accessed January 20, 2017).

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “Regular Yoga Practice Is Associated with Mindful Eating.” Science News Daily (August 16, 2009). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185712.htm (accessed January 20, 2017).

“Principles of Mindful Eating.” The Center for Mindful Eating. http://thecenterformindfuleating.org/Principles-Mindful-Eating (accessed January 20, 2017).

ORGANIZATIONS

American Dietetic Association, 120 S Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2190, Chicago, IL, 60606, (312) 899-0040, (800) 877-1600, http://www.eatright.org .

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), 100 SW 75th St., Ste. 201, Gainesville, FL, 32607, (352) 331-4900, Fax: (352) 331-4975, info@asmbs.org, http://www.asmbs.org .

Center for Mindful Eating, PO Box 4286, Portsmouth, NH, 03802, (603) 664-3444, info@tcme.org, http://thecenterformindfuleating.org .

Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Chang Building, 222 Maple Ave., Shrewsbury, MA, 01545, (508) 856-2656, Fax: (508) 856-1977, mindful ness@umassmed.edu, http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm .

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, (877) 22-NIAMS (226-4267), https://www.niddk.nih.gov .

National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, (301) 496-4000, NIHinfo@od.nih.gov, http://www.nih.gov/index.html .

U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20894, https://medlineplus.gov .

Rebecca J. Frey, PhD
Revised by Laura Jean Cataldo, RN, EdD

  This information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.