A systematic review on the effectiveness of unstandardized mindfulness interventions in improving dietary and physical activity outcomes in healthy adults.
BMC public health May 8, 2025 Christian E Preissner, Lieke Vilier, Nora C Bertelsmann et al. 3 citations
A review of 44 studies found that mindfulness-based strategies used outside of standardized clinical protocols to promote healthy eating and physical activity in healthy adults show no clear evidence of effectiveness at the group level. The interventions varied widely, mixing formal and informal mindfulness practices with different meditation exercises. Study quality was mostly weak due to selection bias and lack of blinding. The authors suggest that inconsistent implementation, low study quality, and varied measurement methods may explain the lack of observed effects. They call for higher-quality studies and component analyses to identify which mindfulness strategies actually work in health promotion.