The Effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating Intervention on Weight Management in Women

26 January 2012

Eating out has become an important part of our culture. Consuming large amounts of high-calorie food by often going to restaurants, can contribute to excessive calorie intake and weight gain.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin followed 35 healthy perimenopausal women, aged 40 to 59 years who eat out frequently. Participants took part in a 6-weeks program designed to develop the skills necessary to reduce the calorie and fat intake when eating out. The program's goal was the prevention of weight gain in this population, not weight loss. Because at this age, weight gain results in an increased abdominal waist which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Although the focus has been on weight maintenance, the researchers found that participants in the intervention group had lost significantly more weight, had a lower daily calorie and fat intake and had less problems managing their weight during outings.

Overall, participants in the intervention group have reduced their daily calorie intake by about 297 calories, which would explain their weight loss. Only part of the calorie reduction (about 124 calories) can be attributed to meals out, indicating that fewer calories were also consumed at home.

This study shows the importance of developing creative solutions in the prevention of weight gain. To develop individual skills to help people manage their food intake in an "High risk food environment" such as restaurants, may be one of these solutions .