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Is mindful eating sustainable and healthy? A focus on nutritional intake, food consumption, and plant-based dietary patterns among lean and normal-weight female university students in Japan

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between mindful eating and nutritional intake, food consumption, and healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns in young Japanese women.

Methods

The sample comprised 215 female undergraduates who responded to a two-questionnaire anonymous survey conducted in Tokyo, Japan in 2018 and 2019 from November to December. We measured mindful eating status using the Expanded Mindful Eating Scale (EMES) and used Japanese plant-based dietary indices to determine plant-based dietary patterns. Partial correlation analyses were conducted to determine the correlation of mindful eating with energy and nutrient intake, food consumption, and plant-based dietary patterns, after adjusting for demographics and body mass index.

Results

Participants with higher sub-scores in “health of the planet” and “awareness and appreciation for food” ate higher quantities of several micronutrients and plant-based foods and were more likely to have a healthful plant-based dietary pattern. They were also less likely to have an unhealthful plant-based dietary pattern. In contrast, participants with higher scores in “non-judgmental awareness” ate less protein, whole grains, and vegetables, and were likely to have an unhealthful plant-based dietary pattern.

Conclusion

This study is the first to show that young Japanese women with normal or lean body weight were more likely to consume healthful plant-based foods when they ate mindfully.

Level V

Opinions of respected authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.

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Availability of data and material

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

BDHQ:

Brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire

EMES:

Expanded Mindful Eating Scale

hPDI-J:

Healthful plant-based dietary index-Japanese version

OHS:

Ochanomizu Health Study

PDI-J:

Plant-based dietary index-Japanese version

PDIs-J:

Plant-based dietary indices-Japanese version

uPDI-J:

Unhealthful plant-based dietary index-Japanese version

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Acknowledgements

We thank students for participating in this study.

Funding

Funding was provided by the Grant-in-Aid from Ochanomizu University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

    Yui Kawasaki, Rie Akamatsu & Yoko Fujiwara

  2. Counseling Psychology, Department of Psychology, Potsdam University, Karl-Liebknechtstr. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany

    Yui Kawasaki

  3. Organization for Human Life Innovation and Development, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

    Rie Akamatsu, Yoko Fujiwara, Mika Omori, Masumi Sugawara, Yoko Yamazaki, Satoko Matsumoto, Shigeru Iwakabe & Tetsuyuki Kobayashi

  4. Human Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

    Mika Omori, Masumi Sugawara & Shigeru Iwakabe

  5. Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

    Yoko Yamazaki & Satoko Matsumoto

  6. Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

    Tetsuyuki Kobayashi

Authors
  1. Yui Kawasaki
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  2. Rie Akamatsu
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  3. Yoko Fujiwara
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  4. Mika Omori
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  8. Shigeru Iwakabe
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  9. Tetsuyuki Kobayashi
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Contributions

All authors devised the project. YY and SM carried out the data collection. YK carried out the data analysis and drafted the manuscript. All authors critically appraised and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rie Akamatsu.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was reviewed and approved by the Ochanomizu University’s Research Ethics Board (no. 2018-111).

Informed consent

At the beginning of each questionnaire, all participants were given a summary of this study and informed that submission of a completed survey indicated written informed consent to participate.

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Not applicable, need or not.

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Kawasaki, Y., Akamatsu, R., Fujiwara, Y. et al. Is mindful eating sustainable and healthy? A focus on nutritional intake, food consumption, and plant-based dietary patterns among lean and normal-weight female university students in Japan. Eat Weight Disord 26, 2183–2199 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01093-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01093-1

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