Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders

Abstract

Eating disorders (ED) are complex multidimensional behavioral syndromes characterized by pervasive core deficits in the self-regulation of food intake, affect, and cognition (Dalle Grave, Di Pauli, Sartirana, Calugi, & Shafran, 2007; Deaver, Miltenberger, Smyth, Meidinger & Crosby, 2003; Shafran, Teachman, Kerry, & Rachman, 1999; Spoor, Bekker, Van Heck, Croon, & Van Strien, 2005). Disturbance in self-regulation of food intake is linked to difficulty in recognizing physiological signals of hunger and satiety as well as in discerning these signals from somatic signals of emotion. Disturbance in emotion regulation reflects deficits in identifying, managing and adaptively utilizing emotion. Disturbance in cognition reflects extreme rigidity seen in cognitive restraint around eating behaviors, perfectionism and distorted thinking about weight and shape. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.