Mindful Motivation for Reducing Binge Eating

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · Jul 25, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called "Mindful Motivation for Reducing Binge Eating," is exploring a new approach to help people who struggle with binge eating and are overweight. The study combines techniques called mindful eating and motivational interviewing, which aim to encourage healthier eating habits and reduce binge eating episodes. Researchers want to find out how acceptable this new intervention is for participants and whether it is practical to use in everyday life. To do this, they will compare this new approach to a control method that focuses solely on digital meditation.

To participate in the study, individuals must be 18 years or older, have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, and experience significant distress from binge eating at least once a month over the past three months. Participants will need access to a smartphone or computer and should not have been involved in any formal meditation practices recently. Those who join the study will complete online questionnaires, provide some health-related samples, and are expected to meditate for at least 10 minutes a day. If assigned to the Mindful Motivation group, participants will also receive eight weeks of brief counseling to support their journey toward healthier eating habits.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Study 1
• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Aged 18 years or older
• • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2)
• • High levels of binge eating as assessed by QEWP-5 that are at least sub-clinical for binge eating disorder
• • At least 1 episode of binge eating each month over the past 3 months with significant distress about these episodes
• • Daily access to a smartphone or computer
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Being an experienced meditator or having participated in a formal meditation practice in the last 3 months
• • Study 2
• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Current student at UCSF
• • Aged 18 years or older
• • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2)
• • High levels of binge eating as assessed by QEWP-5 that are at least sub-clinical for binge eating disorder
• • At least 1 episode of binge eating each month over the past 3 months with significant distress about these episodes
• • Daily access to a smartphone or computer
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Being an experienced meditator or having participated in a formal meditation practice in the last 3 months
• • Inability to speak and read English or provide informed consent
• • Significant medical or psychological concerns