title: Attention with a mindful attitude attenuates subjective appetitive reactions and food intake following food-cue exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive energy intake that contributes to overweight and obesity is arguably driven by pleasure associated with the rewarding properties of energy-dense palatable foods. It is important to address influences of external food cues in food-abundant societies where people make over 200 food related decisions each day. This study experimentally examines protective effects of a mindful attention induction on appetitive measures, state craving and food intake following exposure to energy-dense foods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty females were randomly allocated to a standard food-cue exposure condition in which attention is brought to the hedonic properties of food or food-cue exposure following a mindful attention induction. Appetitive reactions were measured pre, post and 10 min after post-cue exposure, after which a plate of cookies was used as a surreptitious means of measuring food intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported hunger remained unchanged and fullness significantly increased for the mindful attention group post-cue exposure whereas hunger significantly increased for the standard attention group and fullness remained unchanged. There was no significant between-group difference in state craving post-cue exposure and 10 min later. Significantly more cookies were eaten by the standard attention group 10 min post-cue exposure although no significant between-group differences in appetitive and craving measures were reported at that time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results point to a promising brief intervention strategy and highlights the importance of distinguishing mindful attention from attention. Results also demonstrate that mindful attention can influence food intake even when craving and hunger are experienced.
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK. Electronic address: N.R.Fisher@ljmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lattimore
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malinowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D015992:Body Mass Index; D066249:Craving; D003463:Cues; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Food cue exposure; Food intake; Hedonic reactions; Hunger; Mindfulness