Try mindful eating as an approach to weight loss - Scranton Times-Tribune

There are many reasons why losing weight is both the No. 1 health goal and the most elusive. Not the least of these is the psychology of eating: Because in a land of plenty, we eat mindlessly.

Consider some dieting history. First we tried chemically modifying food, such as removing or altering the fat or sugar and removing the calories, but it failed to reduce our weight. In fact, “fake sugar,” even though it does not have calories, can still increase blood glucose levels. Next, we decided fat cells were the enemy, but we failed to control our weight when we removed fat cells from our body through liposuction. Then we decided the problem was our digestive system, so we placed bands or staples in the stomach or bypassed the small intestine. While these efforts helped many in the short run, they failed — without a change in behavior — as a long-term solution.

Many medical professionals have concluded that the problems people have with weight are not exclusively due to the food, fat cells, stomach or intestines, but rather the mind.

What is mindful eating?Mindful eating, also referred to as intuitive eating, is based on Buddhist teachings in which focus is placed on the experience of eating, and enjoying, our food. The concept was first popularized in The New York Times in a column written by Jeff Gordinier based on his time spent in a Buddhist monastery. He discovered people who ate in silence and chewed small pieces of food very slowly and deliberately to experience its taste, texture and smell. It requires full attention of the body and mind to the experience of eating and drinking.

It is often referred to as “the opposite of dieting” because with mindful eating there is no right or wrong way to eat, but rather varying degrees of awareness about what we eat and why. Furthermore, the goal of this exercise is to teach our mind and body to connect and communicate while eating so we can learn important cues: What are my hunger signals? What does my stomach feel like when it is half, three-fourths and completely full?

The research

One study of 1,400 mindful eaters found they had lower body weight, enjoyed a greater sense of well-being and suffered from fewer eating disorders. However, many feel the concept, while valuable, is very difficult to put into practice in a busy American family. But research shows that the family meal, even when not perfectly relaxed, can have a powerful impact on mindfulness, health and wellness.

In a country that thrives on a fast pace with overbooked schedules, families struggle to balance work, school and after-school sports and activities. Consequently, fast-food, eat-and-go habits have become the norm. According to some studies, most people find it difficult to find time to sit and relax for a family meal even once a week. And when families do manage a pull off a sit-down meal, it’s often overwrought with school drama, sibling rivalry and parental discipline about school, homework or social activities, making the situation stressful.

Despite the family conflict, though, research strongly supports the health values of the family meal. A recent study from Columbia University found that children who participated in a family meal regularly were less likely to have problems with drugs or alcohol and more likely to excel in school. Children who ate with their families at least five times per week benefited most. Other studies have found a significantly lower incidence of teens who smoke, use alcohol, have sex at a young age, fight, get suspended from school or commit suicide among those who have meals with their family on a regular basis.

Mindful eating expert Christopher Willard, Psy.D., offers the following tips for healthy eating habits:

Let your body catch up to your brain: Eating rapidly past full and ignoring your body’s signals vs. slowing down and eating and stopping when your body says it’s full.

Know your body’s personal hunger signals: Are you responding to an emotional want or responding to your body’s needs?

Develop healthy eating environments: Eating alone and randomly vs. eating with others at set times and places.

Eat food, not stories: Eating foods that are emotionally comforting vs. eating foods that are nutritionally healthy.

Consider the life cycle of your food: Where food comes from vs. thinking of food as an end product.

Attend to your plate: Distracted eating vs. just eating.

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Try mindful eating as an approach to weight loss - Scranton Times-Tribune
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