Roy Thewissen

Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern

This study explored the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention for problematic eating behavior. A non-clinical sample of 26 women with disordered eating behavior was randomly assigned to an 8-week MBCT-based eating intervention or a waiting list control group. Data were collected at baseline and after 8 weeks. Compared to controls, participants in the mindfulness intervention showed significantly greater decreases in food cravings, dichotomous thinking, body image concern, emotional eating and external eating. These findings suggest that mindfulness practice can be an effective way to reduce factors that are associated with problematic eating behaviour.

Coping with food cravings. Investigating the potential of a mindfulness-based intervention☆

The present study examined whether mindfulness-based strategies can effectively reduce food cravings in an overweight and obese adult population. Individuals participating in a dietary group treatment for overweight received an additional 7-week manual based training that aimed to promote regulation of cravings by means of acceptance. The control group did not receive this additional training program. The results showed that participants in the experimental group reported significantly lower cravings for food after the intervention compared to the control group. The findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms like prevention of goal frustration, disengagement of obsessive thinking and reduction of automatic relations between urge and reaction.

The Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention on Memory for Positively and Negatively Valenced Stimuli

A core component of mindfulness is non-judgmental observation of internal and external stimuli. The present study investigated the effect of mindfulness on memory for emotional stimuli. Participants were exposed to a brief mindfulness intervention and subsequently performed a verbal learning test consisting of positive, neutral, and negative words. Control participants received no intervention and directly performed the verbal learning test. After 20 min, participants recalled as many words as possible. Participants in the mindfulness condition remembered a significantly lower proportion of negative words compared to control participants. No differences between both groups were observed for the proportion of remembered positive words. These findings suggest that memory processes may be a potential mechanism underlying the link between mindfulness and subjective well-being.

Pavlovian conditioning of an approach bias in low-dependent smokers

RationaleIn the present study, it was investigated whether smokers can acquire a behavioural approach bias through Pavlovian conditioning.ObjectivesMore specifically, it was tested whether pairing neutral stimuli with either smoking availability or unavailability would lead to both differential urge responding to these stimuli and a corresponding shift in approach bias.Materials and methodsThirty-nine low-dependent smokers performed a stimulus–response compatibility (SRC) task with which one can determine an approach bias. Next, participants received a conditioning session in which one cue (either a blue or yellow background screen colour) was paired with the opportunity to smoke (CS+) and another cue was paired with the absence of the opportunity to smoke (CS−). After conditioning, all participants again performed the SRC task.ResultsEvidence for the conditioning of an approach bias but not smoking urges was found. This effect, although, was only apparent when smokers had been prompted to determine the contingency between the cues and smoking outcome.ConclusionsIt is concluded that one can differentially condition an approach bias in low-dependent smokers.

Accepting or suppressing the desire to eat: investigating the short-term effects of acceptance-based craving regulation.

Previous studies addressing the long-term impact of acceptance of food cravings have revealed positive effects in terms of reduced craving experience. The present study investigated the short-term (direct) consequences of acceptance-based craving regulation. Hungry participants were exposed to desirable food and were either instructed to accept or suppress food cravings during exposure. Control participants did not regulate cravings and were allowed to eat from the food. Participants who accepted food cravings reported a significant increase in food craving during the course of the experiment. Participants who suppressed their cravings during exposure kept their craving levels constant. In contrast, control participants who were allowed to eat from the food, reported a significant drop in cravings. These findings suggest that although acceptance may entail an effective strategy for reducing food cravings in the long run, it may require repeated practice to overcome the immediate counterproductive effects.

From the Office to the Pub: The Role of Smoking-Relevant Contexts and Cue-Elicited Urge to Smoke

The present study investigates how environmental contexts can affect cue-elicited urge to smoke. A total of 33 smokers were repeatedly presented with a cue predicting smoking and a cue predicting no smoking in one room and the effect of context change in a different room was assessed. Results endorsed earlier findings that a cue predicting smoking availability elicited more urge to smoke than a cue predicting smoking unavailability. Furthermore, this study shows that a context switch from a low smoking-relevant room to a high smoking-relevant room reduces the learned differential urge responding between the two availability cues. These findings are discussed in relation to the role that smoking-relevant contexts play in the generalization of differential urge responding after a context switch. Furthermore, implications for government policies on smoking and clinical issues are discussed.