There Mindfulness It is a process defined by two central components: the attention focused on the experiences of the present moment and the acceptance and openness towards these. The interventions based on Mindfulness therefore aim to develop attention focused on the present moment that allows the observation of the flow of thoughts, sensations and emotions without trying to modify or judge them.
Lately the interventions based on Mindfulness are also used for the treatment of binge eating disorder (uncontrolled eating disorder).
In a recent review (2015), we tried to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions based on mindfulness To modify the dysfunctional eating behaviors linked to binge eating disorder.
The results show that developing a Mindfulness attitude allows you to have greater awareness and ability to distinguish between emotional excitement and the physical signals of hunger. These skills allow to face emotional activation by resorting to more functional coping strategies without therefore resorting to binges. In addition, being able to maintain a non -judgmental attitude but of acceptance towards negative feelings, allows you to avoid eating impulsively to suppress these emotions.
About 70% of people with Binge Eating It also has an obesity, as the recurring binges are not followed by compensation mechanisms. From the review, it emerges that MindFulness interventions are useful both to reduce body weight, as they decrease the frequency of binges, and to maintain the weight achieved.
In fact, individuals who have matured a Mindfulness attitude, in fact, have greater skills that allow them to limit dysfunctional food behaviors and develop a better relationship with food. The healthiest food styles support both weight loss and maintenance of the weight achieved.
In conclusion it is possible to affirm that on the articles examined by the review, 86% of the studies have reported significant improvements in the food behaviors examined using the Mindfulness practice.
However, the numerous limits that the studies examined present must also be considered. For example, only studies published in English in scientific journals have been included and most of the research had champion, female subjects or mainly female as their own champion (even if the binge eating disorder is also present in men). In addition, many studies are not clearly reported the methods of assessment of the food problem examined.
These limitations could compromise the generalization of the results, for which further studies are needed that confirm the effectiveness of Mindfulness interventions on the treatment of binge eating disorder.
