19-02-2022 | ORIGINAL PAPER
Acute and Enduring Effects of Mindful Eating on Delay and Probability Discounting for Food and Money in Food-Insecure Women
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 3/2022
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Objectives
Mindful eating (ME) reduces impulsive choice for food, which has implications for obesity. However, its impact on individuals with economic disadvantage and a higher risk for obesity, such as those with food insecurity, has not been evaluated. This study determined the effects of ME in this population.
Methods
Women with food insecurity (n = 117) were recruited from a community sample. They completed baseline measures of food and money delay discounting (assesses impulsivity) and food and money probability discounting (quantifies sensitivity to risk aversion). In a second session, participants were randomized to one of three groups and exposed to either an acute 50-min ME training, a 50-min DVD on nutrition, or a control condition. Discounting was measured post-session for acute effects of each condition. Participants in the ME group were then instructed to practice ME for 1 week. At the 1-week follow-up, discounting was measured again for all three groups.
Results
Results revealed that acute ME and an extended ME practice increased delay discounting for food and money relative to baseline. ME also increased risk aversion for food and money at the 1-week time point. Neither the DVD or control conditions affected food or monetary discounting at any time point.
Conclusions
These results suggest that for women with food insecurity, ME’s effects shift decision-making processes regarding food and money to a more “survival mode” pattern in which more immediate and risk-averse choices are preferred over larger, less immediate, and uncertain ones
Trial Registration.
ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02930642.