Mindfulness facets differentially relate to self-reported negative and positive emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness is a meaningful therapeutic target in the treatment of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity. Descriptive research mapping relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity is needed. METHODS: Cross-sectional relations between mindfulness facets (i.e., acting with awareness, describe, non-judgment, non-reactive, and observe; Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form) and emotional eating types (i.e., self-reported negative and positive emotional eating; Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of adults with overweight/obesity (N = 63). RESULTS: Significant bivariate correlations revealed negative relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types. Multiple regressions revealed that higher describe (ß = - 0.42, p = 0.004) mindfulness was associated with lower self-reported emotional eating-anger/anxiety; higher non-reactive (ß = - 0.31, p = 0.01) and non-judgment (ß = - 0.28, p = 0.02) mindfulness were associated with lower self-reported emotional eating-depression; and higher non-judgment (ß = 0.26, p = 0.04) mindfulness was associated with higher self-reported emotional eating-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Describe, non-judgment, and non-reactive mindfulness were uniquely and significantly associated with eating in response to negative and positive emotions. Results suggest the potential need for intervention programs to be sensitive to the multidimensional nature of mindfulness in the treatment of distinct types of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Understanding the relationship between negative emotional eating and binge eating: The moderating effects of acting with awareness and non-reactive mindfulness.

OBJECTIVES: Negative emotional eating and binge eating are positively related, occur in diverse populations, and may be driven by similar mechanisms. Mindfulness facets such as acting with awareness, describe, non-judgement, non-reactive, and observe may moderate the relationship between these maladaptive eating phenotypes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study assessed emotional eating-depression (Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, depression subscale), trait mindfulness facets (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form), and binge eating severity (Binge Eating Scale) in adults (N = 258). RESULTS: Emotional eating-depression was less strongly associated with binge eating severity in participants with higher acting with awareness mindfulness. Emotional eating-depression was more strongly associated with binge eating severity in participants with higher non-reactive mindfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Acting with awareness and non-reactive mindfulness may be important treatment targets in concurrent presentations of emotional eating-depression and binge eating.