A woman on mindfulness meditation at sunrise

Study on the effect of mindfulness meditation on eating behavior

Shawn N Katterman et al.

April 2014

Meditation, Pranayama, and more

Rush University Medical Center and Bellarmine University in the United States conducted a systematic review to examine mindfulness meditation for its effects on eating disorders and weight loss.

The researchers used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method to analyze fourteen studies that thematically addressed binge eating, emotional eating and/or weight change.

The results suggest that mindfulness meditation is an effective method for reducing hunger pangs and emotional eating. The results regarding an effect on weight change were not consistent. An influence on weight through meditation can therefore not be regarded as proven.

Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation and to determine the long-term effects of the practice.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Eating disorders, emotional eating, weight loss
Institution: Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
Title: Study on the effect of mindfulness meditation on eating behavior
Brief description: Study shows mindfulness meditation reduces hunger pangs and emotional eating, but mixed results on weight change
Original title: Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for binge eating, emotional eating, and weight loss: a systematic review
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24854804/