Mindfulness-Based Programs for Eating Disorders: A Review of Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Limitations
Research Article
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Mindfulness-Based Programs for Eating Disorders: A Review of Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Limitations

Bulang Li 1*
1 ANU College of Science and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
*Corresponding author: u7713023@anu.edu.au
Published on 4 July 2025
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TNS Vol.123
ISSN (Print): 2753-8826
ISSN (Online): 2753-8818
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-187-7
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-188-4
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Abstract

In recent years, mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have made substantial progress in the field of mental health, particularly in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and addictive behaviors. However, the efficacy and limitations of MBPs in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs) have not yet been thoroughly reviewed. This paper examines recent studies on the use of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) in treating eating disorders, emphasizing their effects on emotional regulation, self-compassion, and eating behaviors, along with the underlying mechanisms, effectiveness, and limitations. Two types of MBPs, besides MBSR, effectively treat Binge Eating Disorder (BED), reducing binge eating and improving self-awareness and emotional regulation. In treating Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), positive effects have been shown, but efficacy varies widely, with considerable heterogeneity across studies. Existing research on MBPs for eating disorders is limited by small sample sizes, few empirical studies and randomized controlled trials, inconsistent measurement standards, and cultural differences. Future research should examine the applicability of MBPs across diverse populations and cultures, while creating standardized criteria to assess efficacy.

Keywords:

Mindfulness-Based Programs, Eating Disorders, Effectiveness, Clinical application

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Li,B. (2025). Mindfulness-Based Programs for Eating Disorders: A Review of Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Limitations. Theoretical and Natural Science,123,13-19.

References

[1]. Agras, W. S. (2001) The consequences and costs of the eating disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24(2): 371-379.

[2]. Keski-Rahkonen, A. and Mustelin, L. (2016) Epidemiology of eating disorders in Europe: prevalence, incidence, comorbidity, course, consequences, and risk factors. Current opinion in psychiatry, 29(6): 340-345.

[3]. Beals, K. A. and Manore, M. M. (1994) The prevalence and consequences of subclinical eating disorders in female athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 4(2): 175-195.

[4]. American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed. ). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

[5]. Galmiche, M. , et al. (2019) Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000-2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(5): 1402-1413.

[6]. Qian, J. , et al. (2021) An update on the prevalence of eating disorders in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eat Weight Disord. , 27(2): 415-428.

[7]. Lavender, J. M. , et al. (2014) Dimensions of emotion dysregulation in bulimia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 22(3): 212-216.

[8]. Vanzhula, I. A. and Levinson, C. A. (2020) Mindfulness in the treatment of eating disorders: Theoretical rationale and hypothesized mechanisms of action. Mindfulness, 11 (5): 1090-1104.

[9]. Sala, M. , et al. (2020) Mindfulness and eating disorder psychopathology: A meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(6): 834-851.

[10]. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990) Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Delacorte Press.

[11]. Bishop, S. R. , et al. (2004) Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical psychology: Science and practice, 11(3): 230.

[12]. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013) Full catastrophe living, revised edition: how to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation. Hachette UK.

[13]. Goldberg, S. B. , et al. (2018) Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 59: 52-60.

[14]. Kuyken, W. , et al. (2016) Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(6): 565-574.

[15]. Segal, Z. V. , Williams, J. M. G. and Teasdale, J. T. (2013) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. Guilford Press.

[16]. Kristeller, J. L. and Wolever, R. Q. (2014) Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for treating binge eating disorder: the conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders and Mindfulness, 93-105.

[17]. Turgon, R. , et al. (2019) Eating disorder treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of mindfulness-based programs. Mindfulness, 10: 2225-2244.

[18]. Hepworth, N. S. (2010). A mindful eating group as an adjunct to individual treatment for eating disorders: A pilot study. Eating disorders, 19(1): 6-16.

[19]. Godfrey, K. M. , Gallo, L. C. and Afari, N. (2015) Mindfulness-based interventions for binge eating: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of behavioral medicine, 38: 348-362.

[20]. Kristeller, J. L. , Baer, R. A. and Quillian-Wolever, R. (2006) Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders. Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician’s guide to evidence base and applications, 75.

[21]. Gholamrezaie, S. (2016) Effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive therapy on reduction of perceived stress and eating disorder in students with eating disorder symptoms. Studies in Medical Sciences, 27(9): 801-810.

[22]. Kearney, D. J. , et al. (2012) Participation in mindfulness-based stress reduction is not associated with reductions in emotional eating or uncontrolled eating. Nutrition Research, 32(6): 413-420.

[23]. Kristeller, J. L. and Hallett, C. B. (1999) An exploratory study of a meditation-based intervention for binge eating disorder. Journal of health psychology, 4(3): 357-363.

[24]. Zergani, M. J. , et al. (2024) Mindfulness-based eating awareness training versus itself plus implementation intention model: a randomized clinical trial. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 29(1): 53.

[25]. Hashemzadeh, M. , et al. (2019) Transtheoretical model of health behavioral change: A systematic review. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 24(2): 83-90.

References

[1]. Agras, W. S. (2001) The consequences and costs of the eating disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24(2): 371-379.

[2]. Keski-Rahkonen, A. and Mustelin, L. (2016) Epidemiology of eating disorders in Europe: prevalence, incidence, comorbidity, course, consequences, and risk factors. Current opinion in psychiatry, 29(6): 340-345.

[3]. Beals, K. A. and Manore, M. M. (1994) The prevalence and consequences of subclinical eating disorders in female athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 4(2): 175-195.

[4]. American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed. ). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

[5]. Galmiche, M. , et al. (2019) Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000-2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(5): 1402-1413.

[6]. Qian, J. , et al. (2021) An update on the prevalence of eating disorders in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eat Weight Disord. , 27(2): 415-428.

[7]. Lavender, J. M. , et al. (2014) Dimensions of emotion dysregulation in bulimia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 22(3): 212-216.

[8]. Vanzhula, I. A. and Levinson, C. A. (2020) Mindfulness in the treatment of eating disorders: Theoretical rationale and hypothesized mechanisms of action. Mindfulness, 11 (5): 1090-1104.

[9]. Sala, M. , et al. (2020) Mindfulness and eating disorder psychopathology: A meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(6): 834-851.

[10]. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990) Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. Delacorte Press.

[11]. Bishop, S. R. , et al. (2004) Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical psychology: Science and practice, 11(3): 230.

[12]. Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013) Full catastrophe living, revised edition: how to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation. Hachette UK.

[13]. Goldberg, S. B. , et al. (2018) Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 59: 52-60.

[14]. Kuyken, W. , et al. (2016) Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(6): 565-574.

[15]. Segal, Z. V. , Williams, J. M. G. and Teasdale, J. T. (2013) Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. Guilford Press.

[16]. Kristeller, J. L. and Wolever, R. Q. (2014) Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for treating binge eating disorder: the conceptual foundation. Eating Disorders and Mindfulness, 93-105.

[17]. Turgon, R. , et al. (2019) Eating disorder treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of mindfulness-based programs. Mindfulness, 10: 2225-2244.

[18]. Hepworth, N. S. (2010). A mindful eating group as an adjunct to individual treatment for eating disorders: A pilot study. Eating disorders, 19(1): 6-16.

[19]. Godfrey, K. M. , Gallo, L. C. and Afari, N. (2015) Mindfulness-based interventions for binge eating: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of behavioral medicine, 38: 348-362.

[20]. Kristeller, J. L. , Baer, R. A. and Quillian-Wolever, R. (2006) Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders. Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician’s guide to evidence base and applications, 75.

[21]. Gholamrezaie, S. (2016) Effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive therapy on reduction of perceived stress and eating disorder in students with eating disorder symptoms. Studies in Medical Sciences, 27(9): 801-810.

[22]. Kearney, D. J. , et al. (2012) Participation in mindfulness-based stress reduction is not associated with reductions in emotional eating or uncontrolled eating. Nutrition Research, 32(6): 413-420.

[23]. Kristeller, J. L. and Hallett, C. B. (1999) An exploratory study of a meditation-based intervention for binge eating disorder. Journal of health psychology, 4(3): 357-363.

[24]. Zergani, M. J. , et al. (2024) Mindfulness-based eating awareness training versus itself plus implementation intention model: a randomized clinical trial. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 29(1): 53.

[25]. Hashemzadeh, M. , et al. (2019) Transtheoretical model of health behavioral change: A systematic review. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 24(2): 83-90.

Cite this article

Li,B. (2025). Mindfulness-Based Programs for Eating Disorders: A Review of Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Limitations. Theoretical and Natural Science,123,13-19.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Biological Engineering and Medical Science

ISBN: 978-1-80590-187-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-188-4(Online)
Editor: Alan Wang
Conference website: https://2025.icbiomed.org/
Conference date: 24 October 2025
Series: Theoretical and Natural Science
Volume number: Vol.123
ISSN: 2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

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