Endocrine Abstracts

Overeating contributes to obesity epidemic and has many causes. Evidence shows that problematic eating behaviours can be modified with mindfulness. In the UK the use of mindfulness in management of obesity has been studied only once before. We aimed to pilot a new weight management course that would improve patients’ skills and confidence in ability to lose weight, and reduce patient waiting time. The course covered mindful eating, compassion and self-esteem, managing relapses and weight loss orientated marketing. Four interactive sessions were delivered by dietitians and psychologists over 8 weeks, resulting in frequent contact with participants. Patients were invited to participate in this course following their first appointment, and received normal follow-up regardless of their participation. Ten patients were included in the final analysis. Anonymized feedback and eating style questionnaires were collected before and after the course. The average weight and age were 120 kg and 45 respectively, and eight were women. 90% of patients lost weight (0.4–5 kg). Average weight loss was 1.54 kg. Patients were seen more frequently in the initial phase of their treatment pathway, leading to improved experience.30% of participants heard of mindful eating prior to our course, with 90% finding it a useful concept for weight management on completion. Patients became more confident, compassionate and felt more in control. Eating styles were assessed by a validated questionnaire. Paired t-test was applied to analyse results. Statistically significant improvement was found in emotional eating (P=0.010), food fretting (P=0.022), unappetizing atmosphere (P=0.042) and overall eating style (P=0.017). This holistic course equipped patients with new skills to change eating behaviours, coping strategies and changed their mindset and will be incorporated into the standard service for all bariatric patients. However, the results of this project have global implications as management of obesity should incorporate holistic approach and utilize mindfulness in future.