The role of mindfulness based interventions in the treatment of obesity and eating disorders: An integrative review

SummaryMore than one-third of U.S. adults over the age of 20 years are classified as obese and nearly two-thirds are overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity among U.S. children and adolescents has almost tripled since 1980, with 17% of all youth and children now considered obese. Nine million children aged 6–19 years are overweight, making obesity the largest health care threat facing today's children. Historically, the arsenal against obesity has been primarily focused on interventions that increase physical activity and decrease caloric intake. American weight loss strategies that incorporate dietary modifications and exercise have proven effective in achieving weight loss, but most of the weight is regained over time. Mindfulness based interventions, combined with other traditional weight loss strategies, have the potential to offer a long-term, holistic approach to wellness. However, research reports examining the complementary addition of mindfulness based approaches in the treatment obesity and eating disorders are relatively scarce in the empirical literature. This paper describes what is currently known about the role of mindfulness based interventions when used alone, or in combination with, other traditional approaches in the treatment of obesity and eating disorders.