Think

Before
You
Eat
A Peek Inside the Effects of Volumetrics and Mindful
Eating in Weight Loss
By Skyler Morrill
Deborah Hill used to see herself as a slim 5
foot 9 inches woman, who found it hard to gain
noticeable weight on her figure. Over the years this
mind set led to her heaviest weight at 210 pounds.
This was surprising to Deborah, she never found
herself struggling with her weight.
Deborah isnt alone as 35% of Americans,
according the Center for Disease Control, are
considered obese with a BMI of 30 or greater
(Suttie., 2012). With the increase of obesity follows
with the increase of heart disease, diabetes, stroke
and exponential health care costs in order to treat
these conditions. This health condition crisis has
lead to analysis of different types of weight loss
systems and their effectiveness.
Deborah later discovered the mental tool of
mindfulness in order to combat her broken
relationship with food, and began her journey of
weight loss in order to feel healthy and slim in her
body again. Ms. Hill lost 40 pounds in her first year,
she said mindfulness had a very large contribution
to her weight loss.
Mindfulness is described as a state of mind
reached by focusing all attention to the present
moment. It is experiencing thoughts, feelings and
sensations but not judging them (Antizios., 2015).
Mindfulness allows individuals to live moment-tomoment with sheer awareness of their surroundings
and internal activity.
Researchers are finding that many people
suffering from obesity lack mindful eating skills
that can potentially help to combat binge, stress and
emotional eating. More often than not people who
struggle with their weight do not have a healthy
relationship with food, meaning they use food as an
emotional crutch or do not understand the dynamics
of healthy eating habits. Mindfulness while
implementing a weight loss plan can help people to
understand satiety cues and understand their body
on a deeper level. This can even help combat stress
and depression which can further encourage
disordered eating.

November 6, 2016

As the rise of obesity continues its

momentum in the United States researchers, doctors
and health enthusiasts are trying to discover
alternative ways to manage obesity. Another
method, which can successfully be paired with
mindfulness, is the idea of volumetrics. Volumetrics
is basically eating food that has a high volume in
order to reach fullness faster. This type of approach
to dieting can work when the individual eats food
with a high water content and a low calorie content,
such as salad (Foreyt., 2012). Comparing how
fluffy foods are is actually a logical way to
dieting because after the stomach is full the brain
will send out signals to stop eating.
Volumetrics requires self control and strict
diet planning. In order to find success in this
method its essential to understand which foods will
have high nutrient content, so the body doesnt go
malnourished, but also keeping it low-calorie and
filling (Foreyt., 2012). Theres a lot of elements to
consider but ultimately there are many food choices
in this type of approach.
Small studies show that mindfulness has the
potential to lower obesity rates in certain
populations. A small study was conducted using
Mindful Eating Intervention (MEI) in overweight
Latina females. They used a two group approach
with 37 adolescent females with a BMI in the 90th

percentile. One third of the group received a 6 week

MEI program while the other two thirds were used
as the comparison group. During the 90 minute MEI
sessions behavioral skills surrounding eating habits
were practiced through focus on satiety cues and
what triggers individuals to over eat. After six
weeks the MEI group showed to have a decreased
BMI by 1.1 kg/m2 which continues to decrease by
1.4 kg/m2 by week 10. The comparison group was
shown to have an increased BMI by 0.7 kg/m2. This
study showed that MEI has the potential to change
individuals behavior with eating and weight loss
(Dally et al., 2016). Although this study was small it
shows how it can have an effect on patients and
improve their lives.
Small studies are important because they
indicate the potential for intense research
opportunities. Due to the lack of in-depth data
mindfulness and volumetrics provides it is hard to
say if these methods would work for everyone and
the different severities of obesity. But, the data that
had been collected is a strong indicator of the
potential these methods have in halting the
momentum of obesity in the US.
References
Antizios, M., & Wilson, J. (2015, March).
Mindfulness, Eating Behaviours, and
Obesity: A Review and Reflection on
Current Findings. Retrieved October 28,
2016,
from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2662
7097
Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth | NCCIH. (2005,
October). Retrieved October 30, 2016, from
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introd
uction.htm
Dally, P., PhD, Pace, T., PhD, Berg, J., PhD,
Menin,
U., PhD, & Szalacha, L. A., EdD. (2016). A
mindful eating intervention: A theory-guided
randomized ... Retrieved October 30, 2016,
from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article
/pii/S0965229916301054
Medina, W., Wilson, D., Salvo, V. D., Vannucchi, B.,
Souza, E. D., Lucena, L., . . . Demarzo, M.
(2016). Effects of
Mindfulness on Diabetes Mellitus: Rationale and

overview. Current Diabetes Reviews CDR,

12(999),
1-1.
doi:10.2174/1573399812666160607074817
Suttie, B. J. (2012, June 27). Better Eating
through
Mindfulness.
Retrieved
November 06,
2016,
from
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m/better_eating_through_mindfulness