title: Evidence and potential mechanisms for mindfulness practices and energy psychology for obesity and binge-eating disorder.
abstract: Obesity is a growing epidemic. Chronic stress produces endocrine and immune factors that are contributors to obesity's etiology. These biochemicals also can affect appetite and eating behaviors that can lead to binge-eating disorder. The inadequacies of standard care and the problem of patient noncompliance have inspired a search for alternative treatments. Proposals in the literature have called for combination therapies involving behavioral or new biological therapies. This manuscript suggests that mind-body interventions would be ideal for such combinations. Two mind-body modalities, energy psychology and mindfulness meditation, are reviewed for their potential in treating weight loss, stress, and behavior modification related to binge-eating disorder. Whereas mindfulness meditation and practices show more compelling evidence, energy psychology, in the infancy stages of elucidation, exhibits initially promising outcomes but requires further evidence-based trials.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, School of Health-Related Professions, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA. reneesojcher@gmail.com
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sojcher
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gould Fogerite
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perlman
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019122:Meditation / Q000379:methods*; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss