OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of a Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention on weight management.

DESIGN:

Randomized control trial.

SETTING:

Greater metropolitan area of Austin, Texas.

PARTICIPANTS:

Women (n = 35) 40-59 years old who eat out at least 3 times per week.

INTERVENTION:

The intervention, using 6 weekly 2-hour, small group sessions, focused on reducing calorie and fat intake when eating out through education, behavior change strategies, and mindful eating meditations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Weight, waist circumference, self-reported daily calorie and fat intake, self-reported calories and fat consumed when eating out, emotional eating, diet related self-efficacy, and barriers to weight management when eating out.

ANALYSIS:

General linear models examined change from baseline to final endpoint to determine differences in outcomes between the intervention and control group.

RESULTS:

Participants in the intervention group lost significantly more weight (P =.03), had lower average daily caloric (P = .002) and fat intake (P = .001), had increased diet-related self-efficacy (P = .02), and had fewer barriers to weight management when eating out (P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:

Mindful Restaurant Eating intervention was effective in promoting weight management in perimenopausal women.

Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.