A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindful Eating Intervention for Post-menopausal Obese Women

This study examined the effects of a mindful eating intervention on health-related outcomes. Thirty-six obese, post-menopausal women were randomized to a 6-week mindful eating and living (MEAL) intervention or an active control group (CONT), consisting of nutritional counseling, goal setting, and group support. Additionally, there were ten monthly refreshers. Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), binge eating, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed at baseline and four follow-up periods up to 1 year. Multilevel analyses showed that the MEAL group had reductions in weight, BMI, WHR, binge eating, IL-6, and CRP, and the CONT group had reductions in weight, BMI, and binge eating. The reductions in IL-6 and CRP were greater for the MEAL as compared with the CONT group. This study suggests that a mindfulness-based eating intervention may have various health benefits in post-menopausal women who are obese.