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Mindfulness-based interventions for adults who are overweight or obese: a meta-analysis of physical and psychological health outcomes.

Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
January 1, 2017
Jeffrey M Rogers et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisReviewResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological and physical health outcomes in overweight or obese adults.

Results Summary

Mindfulness-based interventions showed large effects on eating behaviors, medium effects on depression, anxiety, and eating attitudes, and small effects on BMI and metacognition. Therapeutic effects for BMI, anxiety, and eating behaviors remained significant in higher-quality trials, with no additional benefit from higher intervention doses.

Population

Overweight or obese adults

Effective Dosage

Median dose of 12 hours of face-to-face intervention

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (16)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
weight
adults who are overweight or obese
4.2 kg
The average weight loss was
#1
mindfulness-based interventions
increase
eating behaviours
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 1.08
Overall effects were large for improving
#2
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
depression
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.64
Overall effects were medium for
#3
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
anxiety
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.62
Overall effects were medium for
#4
mindfulness-based interventions
increase
eating attitudes
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.57
Overall effects were medium for
#5
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
body mass index (BMI)
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.47
Overall effects were small for
#6
mindfulness-based interventions
increase
metacognition
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.38
Overall effects were small for
#7
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
BMI
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.43
Therapeutic effects for
#8
mindfulness-based interventions
decrease
anxiety
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.53
Therapeutic effects for
#9
mindfulness-based interventions
increase
eating attitudes
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.48
Therapeutic effects for
#10
mindfulness-based interventions
increase
eating behaviours
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.53
Therapeutic effects for
#11
mindfulness-based interventions
no change
efficacy
adults who are overweight or obese
no efficacy advantage
There was no efficacy advantage for studies exceeding the median dose of 12 h of face-to-face intervention
#12
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach
decrease
BMI
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.66
provided the only significant effect for improving
#13
mindfulness approaches
increase
psychological health and eating-related constructs
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.30-1.68
produced great variation from small to large effects across a range of psychological health and eating-related constructs
#14
mindfulness-based interventions
no change
BMI
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.85
the limited longitudinal data suggested maintenance of
#15
mindfulness-based interventions
no change
eating attitudes
adults who are overweight or obese
g = 0.75
the limited longitudinal data suggested maintenance of
#16
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological and physical health outcomes in adults who are overweight or obese. METHODS: We searched 14 electronic databases for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies that met eligibility criteria. Comprehensive Meta-analysis software was used to compute the effect size estimate Hedge's g. RESULTS: Fifteen studies measuring post-treatment outcomes of mindfulness-based interventions in 560 individuals were identified. The average weight loss was 4.2 kg. Overall effects were large for improving eating behaviours (g = 1.08), medium for depression (g = 0.64), anxiety (g = 0.62) and eating attitudes (g = 0.57) and small for body mass index (BMI; g = 0.47) and metacognition (g = 0.38) outcomes. Therapeutic effects for BMI (g = 0.43), anxiety (g = 0.53), eating attitudes (g = 0.48) and eating behaviours (g = 0.53) remained significant when examining results from higher quality randomized control trials alone. There was no efficacy advantage for studies exceeding the median dose of 12 h of face-to-face intervention. Studies utilizing an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach provided the only significant effect for improving BMI (g = 0.66), while mindfulness approaches produced great variation from small to large (g = 0.30-1.68) effects across a range of psychological health and eating-related constructs. Finally, the limited longitudinal data suggested maintenance of BMI (g = 0.85) and eating attitudes (g = 0.75) gains at follow-up were only detectable in lower quality prospective cohort studies. CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness-based interventions may be both physically and psychologically beneficial for adults who are overweight or obese, but further high-quality research examining the mechanisms of action are encouraged.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnxietyBody Mass IndexDepressionDietHealth BehaviorHumansMindfulnessObesityOverweightRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcome
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations109
Citations/Year13.6
Relative Citation Ratio5.93
NIH Percentile94.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score2.24
Normalized Score0.66
Related Supplements
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