The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in Attention Bias Toward Food in Overweight Individuals

Abstract

Background: The increased overweight and obesity prevalence has been a major concern worldwide. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of a mindfulness intervention on the attentional bias toward food in overweight individuals. Methods: The statistical population in this quasi-experimental study using a pretest-posttest design with the control group consisted of overweight individuals with a body mass index of higher than 25, referring to centers related to weight management in Mashhad. Using convenience sampling, 36 samples were selected based on inclusion-exclusion criteria and were placed in two experimental and control groups randomly. The repeated measures were undertaken by SPSS Software, v. 22 for attentional bias toward food. The test was done in three 7-week pre-intervention and post-intervention phases of mindfulness therapy and at follow-up for three months after the end of the intervention. Results: The results of the data analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the reaction time of participants to the food emotional Stroop test. Conclusion: The results showed the significant effect of a mindfulness intervention on the attentional bias toward food in overweight individuals.

Keywords

• overweight
• attentional bias
• mindfulness
• obesity