Looking for evidence that cognitive-behavioural interventions are recommended for emotional eating and weight management? Check out this systematic review:
Emotional Eating Interventions for Adults Living with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Jo Smith 1,2, , Xiao Qi Ang 1, Emma L. Giles 1 and Gemma Traviss-Turner 3; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2722
The review referred to the following definition of emotional eating (EE) – “The tendency to eat energy dense and palatable foods, in response to negative emotions and/or eating to cope with unclear states of hunger and satiety with physiological changes and/or emotion regulation difficulties and/or various indicators of psychopathology including symptoms of anxiety and depression, negative self-concept, overeating”. Emotional eating (EE) is also described as “a form of disordered eating and is a developmental pathway to obesity”.
The authors identified 3220 citations. Based on eligibility criteria, 34 studies published from 2017-2022 were included in the review for a total of 3229 study participants. Eligibility for the review included studies that:
- Evaluated interventions with components that addressed EE in adults with overweight or obesity.
- Had over 70% of study participants who did not meet criteria for binge eating disorder or a clinically diagnosed eating order without EE.
- Provided psychological interventions specifically addressing EE.
Here are some highlights referenced and reported in the 22-page journal article:
– Boredom, loneliness, anxiety, and stress are reported triggers to EE in females.
– At least 40% individuals living with obesity are reported to experience EE.
– Reductions in EE are associated with greater weight loss in individuals living with obesity, especially in females.
– Studies outline a range of psychological intervention approaches to address EE including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), BWL, Mindfulness-Based Treatments (MBT), Acceptance-based Therapies, and combinations of the above.
– The primary outcome of this review was mean weight change pre- and post-intervention. The secondary outcome was change in mean EE score pre- and post-intervention.
– The review found that CBT showed the most promise for weight loss (9%), followed by combined interventions (6%). They referred to previous studies without a focus on EE that have largely found that CBT is effective for weight loss.
– CBT interventions may reduce EE episodes by recognizing stressors and resultant emotions and replacing the urge to eat with alternative positive actions.
– Studies reported combined interventions such as CBT and mindfulness may be advantageous as they enable individuals to explore behaviour change techniques while also learning acceptance strategies.
– Greater awareness of emotions and stress enabled individuals to improve regulation of eating and make healthier choices, which leads to fewer EE episodes.
Authors of the systematic review concluded:
“This comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis found that psychological interventions to address EE showed some promise in reducing EE and promoting a small amount of weight loss in adults living with overweight or obesity. CBT showed the most promise for reducing weight and improving EE in the sub analyses.”
