Healthy and unhealthy eating amongst stressed students: considering the influence of mindfulness on eating choices and consumption

Authors

  • Simran Dutt Birmingham City University
  • Rebecca Keyte Birmingham City University
  • Helen Egan Birmingham City University
  • Misba Hussain Birmingham City University
  • Michail Mantzios Birmingham City University

Keywords:

academic stress, anxiety, mindfulness, unhealthy eating, healthy eating

Abstract

Background

Academic stress is associated with (a) increased food intake and (b) choosing calorie-dense food choices in higher education students. In this research, mindfulness was used to alleviate academic stress and, in effect, promote healthier eating behaviours and decision-making.

Participants and procedure

Ninety students were randomly allocated to either a mindfulness or a control condition. Both conditions exposed students to a stress-inducing task and levels of anxiety were recorded three times (i.e., prior to and after stress induction, and post-intervention) during the experiment. Chocolate and grapes were available to participants after the experiment as a token of appreciation.

Results

Intention-to-treat analyses revealed that mindfulness had a non-significant effect on increasing consumption of healthy food, but assisted the decrease in consuming unhealthy food when compared to the control group. The main analyses revealed that when mindfulness alleviated stress (i.e., by using the anxiety measurements as a manipulation check), students consumed more healthy food and less unhealthy food.

Conclusions

Mindfulness appears to enable better decision making as regards healthy and unhealthy foods when mindfulness meditation actually works. While the results appear positive, non-engagement with mindfulness meditation may necessitate the availability of other practices to reduce anxiety and stress. Clinical implications and the integration of health and wellbeing initiatives into universities are discussed.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Allirot, X., Miragall, M., Perdices, I., Baños, R. M., Urdaneta, E., & Cebolla, A. (2018). Effects of a brief mindful eating induction on food choices and energy intake: external eating and mindfulness state as moderators. Mindfulness, 9, 750–760. https://doi.10.1007/s12671-017-0812-0

Ashton, L. M., Hutchesson, M. J., Rollo, M. E., Morgan, P. J., & Collins, C. E. (2016). Motivators and barriers to engaging in healthy eating and physical activity a cross sections survey in young adult men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 11, 330–343. https://doi.10.1177/1557988316680936

Aspinwall, L. G., & Richter, L. (1999). Optimism and self-mastery predict more rapid disengagement from unsolvable tasks in the presence of alternatives. Motivation and Emotion, 23, 221–245. https://doi.10.1023/A:1021367331817

Beerman, K. A., Jennings, G., & Crawford, S. (1990). The effect of student residence on food choice. Journal of American College Health, 38, 215–220. https://doi.10.1080/07448481.1990.9936190

Bergh, O. V., & Vrana, S. R. (1998). Repetition and boredom in a perceptual fluency/attributional model of affective judgements. Cognition and Emotions, 12, 533–553. https://doi.10.1080/026999398379556

Blotnicky, K. A., Mann, L. L., & Joy, P. R. (2015). An assessment of university students’ healthy eating behaviours with the expectancy theory. ASBBS eJournal, 11, 31–44. Retrieved from http://www.asbbs.org/files/2015/eJournal_2015.pdf#page=31

Blyderveen, S. V., Lafrance, A., Emond, M., Kosmerly, S., O’Connor, M., & Chang, F. (2016). Personality differences in the susceptibility to stresseating: The influence of emotional control and impulsivity. Eating Behaviors, 23, 76–81. https://doi.10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.07.009

Brown, C. (2008). The information trail of the ‘Freshman 15’ – a systematic review of a health myth within the research and popular literature. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 25, 1–12.

Brunt, A., Berdal, L., & Stastny, S. (2013). The relationships of eating mindfulness and demographic characteristics, physical activity, and focus of academic major among college students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 113, A23. https://doi.10.1016/j.jand.2013.06.068

Cavanagh, K., Vartanian, L. R., Herman, C. P., & Polivy, J. (2013). The effect of portion size on food intake is robust to brief education and mindfulness exercises. Journal of Health Psychology, 19, 730–739. https://doi.10.1177/1359105313478645

Dallman, M. F. (2010). Stress-induced obesity and emotional nervous system. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 21, 159–165. https://doi.10.1016/j.tem.2009.10.004

El Ansari, W., Suominen, S., & Samara, A. (2015). Eating habits and dietary intake: is adherence to dietary guidelines associated with importance of healthy eating among undergraduate university students in Finland? Central European Journal of Public Health, 23, 306–313. https://doi.10.21101/cejph.a4195

Emond, M., Eycke, K. T., Kosmerly, S., Robinson, A. L., Stillar, A., & Van Blyderveen, S. (2016). The effect of academic stress and attachment stress on stress-eaters and stress-undereaters. Appetite, 100, 210–215. https://doi.10.1016/j.appet.2016.01.035

Escoto, K. H., Laska, M. N., Larson, N., NeumarkSztainer, D., & Hannan, P. J. (2012). Work hours and perceived time barriers to healthful eating among young adults. American Journal of Health Behaviours, 36, 786–796. https://doi.10.5993/AJHB.36.6.6

Gilbert, D., & Waltz, J. (2010). Mindfulness and health behaviours. Mindfulness, 1, 227–234. Retrieved from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/article/10.1007%2Fs12671-010-0032-3

Health and Social Care Information Centre. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/health-and-social-care-information-centre

Hjeltnes, A., Binder, P. E., Moltu, C., & Dundas, I. (2015). Facing the fear of failure: An exploration qualitative study of client experiences in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program for university students with academic evaluation anxiety. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and WellBeing, 10, 1–14. https://doi.10.3402/qhw.v10.27990

Hussein, M., Egan, H., & Mantzios, M. (2017). Mindful construal diaries: a less anxious, more mindful, and more self-compassionate method of eating. SAGE Open, 7, 1–8. https://doi.10.1177/2158244017704685

Iranzo-Bennett, R., Egan, H. H., Cook, A., & Mantzios, M. (2018). Mindfulness as an intervention for recalling information from a lecture as a measure of academic performance in higher education: a randomized experiment. Higher Education for the Future, 5, 75–88.

Jenkins, K. T., & Tapper, K. (2014). Resisting chocolate temptation using a brief mindfulness strategy. British Journal of Health Psychology, 19, 509–522.https://doi.10.1111/bjhp.12050

Jordan, C. H., Wang, W., Donatoni, L., & Meier, B. P.(2014). Mindful eating: Trait and state mindfulness predict healthier eating behaviour. Personality and Individual Differences, 68, 107–111. https://doi.10.1016/j.paid.2014.04.013

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioural medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4, 33–47. https://doi.10.1016/0163-8343(82)90026-3

Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78, 519–528. https://doi.10.1016/j.psychores.2015.03.009

Kim, Y., Yang, H. Y., Kim, A., & Lim, Y. (2013). Academic stress levels were positively associated with sweet food consumption among Korean highschool students. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 29, 213–218. https://doi.10.1016/j.nut.2012.08.005

Krusche, A., Cyhlarova, E., King, S., & Williams, J. M. G. (2012). Mindfulness online: A preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of a web-based mindfulness course and the impact on stress. BMJ Open, 2, 1–6. https://doi.10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000803

Langlet, B., Fagerberg, P., Glossner, A., & Ioakimidis, I. (2017). Objective quantification of the food proximity effect on grapes, chocolate and cracker consumption in a Swedish high school. A temporal analysis. PLoS One, 12, 1–16. https://doi.10.1371/journal.pone.0182172

Lean, M. E. J. (2018). Making progress on the global crisis of obesity and weight management. The BMJ, 361, 2538–2544. https://doi.10.1136/bmj.k2538

Mantzios, M. (2016). Mindfulness breathing meditation [Audio file]. Available through personal communication.

Mantzios, M., & Egan, H. H. (2018). An exploratory examination of mindfulness, self-compassion, and mindful eating in relation to motivations to eat palatable foods and BMI. Health Psychology Report, 6, 207–215.

Mantzios, M., Egan, H., Bahia, H., Hussain, M., & Keyte, R. (2018a). How does grazing relate to body mass index, self-compasssion, mindfulness and mindful eating in a student population? Health Psychology Open, 1-7. https://doi.10.1177/2055102918762701

Mantzios, M., Egan, H. H., Hussein, M., Keyte, R., & Bahia, H. (2018b). Mindfulness, self-compassion, and mindful eating in relation to fat and sugar consumption: An exploratory investigation. Eating and Weight Disorders, 23, 833–840.

Mantzios, M., & Giannou, K. (2014). Group vs. single mindfulness meditation: exploring avoidance, im pulsivity, and weight management in two separate mindfulness meditation settings. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 6, 173–191. https://doi.10.1111/aphw.12023

Mantzios, M., & Giannou, K. (2018). When did colouring books become mindful? Exploring the effectiveness of a novel method of mindfulness-guided instructions for colouring books to increase mindfulness and decrease anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 56.

Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2014). Making concrete construals mindful: a novel approach for developing mindfulness and self-compassion to assist weight loss. Psychology & Health, 29, 422–441. https://doi.10.1080/08870446.2013.863883

Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2015a). Exploring mindfulness and mindfulness with self-compassioncentered interventions to assist weight loss: theoretical considerations and preliminary results of a randomized pilot study. Mindfulness, 6, 824–835. https://doi.10.1007/s12671-014-0325-z

Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2015b). Mindfulness,eating behaviours, and obesity: A review and reflection on current findings. Current Obesity Reports, 4, 141–146. https://doi.10.1007/s13679-014-0131-x

Mantzios, M., Wilson, J. C., Linnell, M., & Morris, P. (2014). The role of negative cognitions, intolerance of uncertainty, mindfulness, and self-compassion in weight regulation among male army recruits. Mindfulness, 6, 545–552. https://doi.10.1007/s12671-014-0286-2

Marchiori, D., & Papies, E. K. (2014). A brief mindfulness intervention reduces unhealthy eating when hungry, but not the portion size effect. Appetite, 75, 40–45. https://doi.10.1016/j.appet.2013.12.009

Marteau, T. M., & Bekker, H. (1992). The development of a six-item short form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 301–306. https://doi.10.1111/j.2044-8260.1992.tb00997.x

Mason, A. E., Epel, E. S., Kristeller, J., Moran, P. J., Dallman, M., Lustig, R. H., Acree, M., Bacchetti, P., Laraia, B. A., Hecht, F. M., & Daubenmier, J. (2016). Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindful eating, sweet consumption, and fasting glucose levels in obese adults: data from the SHINE randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 39, 201–213. https://doi.10.1007/s10865-015-9692-8

McMorrow, L., Ludbrook, A., Macdiarmid, J. I., & Olajide, D. (2017). Perceived barriers towards healthy eating and their association with fruit and vegetable consumption. Journal of Public Health, 39, 330–338. https://doi.10.1093/pubmed/fdw038

Mikolajczyk, R. T., Ansari, W. E., & Maxwell, A. E. (2009). Food consumption frequency and perceived stress and depressive symptoms among students in three European countries. Nutrition Journal, 8, 1–8. https://doi.10.1186/1475-2891-8-31

Moor, K. R., Scott, A. J., & McIntosh, W. D. (2013). Mindful eating and its relationship to body mass index and physical activity among university students. Mindfulness, 4, 269–274. https://doi.10.1007/s12671-012-0124-3

Mouchacca, J., Abbott, G. R., & Ball, K. (2013). Associations between psychological stress, eating, physical activity, sedentary behaviours and body weight among women: a longitudinal study. BMC Public Health, 13, 828. https://doi.10.1186/1471-2458-13-828

Nolan, L. J., & Geliebter, A. (2012). Night eating is associated with emotional and external eating in college students. Eating Behaviors, 13, 202–206. https://doi.10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.02.002

O’Connor, D. B., Armitage, C. J., & Ferguson, E. (2015). Randomized test of an implementation intention-based tool to reduce stress-induced eating. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 49, 331–343. https://doi.10.1007/s12160-014-9668-x

Ouwens, M. A., Schiffer, A. A. J., Visser, L. I., Raeijmaekers, N. J. C., & Nyklicek, I. (2015). Mindfulness and eating behaviour styles in morbidly obese males and females. Appetite, 87, 62–67. https://doi.10.1016/j.appet.2014.11.030

Pool, E., Delplanque, S., Coppin, G., & Sander, D. (2015). Is comfort food really comforting? Mechanisms underlying stress-induced eating. Food Research International, 76, 207–215. https://doi.10.1016/j.foodres.2014.12.034

Quick, V. M., & Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2013). Disturbed eating behaviours and associated psychographic characteristics of college students. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 1, 53–63. https://doi.10.1111/jhn.12060

Roberts, C. J., Campbell, I. C., & Troop, N. (2014). Increases in weight during chronic stress are partially associated with a switch in food choice towards increased carbohydrate and saturated fat intake. European Eating Disorders Review, 22, 77–82. https://doi.10.1002/erv.2264

Selbie, D. (2018). Reducing childhood obesity in the UK. The Lancet, 391, 26. https://doi.10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33314-7

Sprake, E., Lavin, J., Grabowski, P., Russell, J., Featherstone, M., & Barker, M. (2017). Eating habits associated with body weight gain in female university students: a UK-based study of slimming world members. British Food Journal, 119, 2571–2582. https://doi.10.1108/BFJ-10-2016-0495

Tanton, J., Dodd, L. J., Woodfield, L., & Mabhala, M. (2015). Eating behaviours of British university students: A cluster analysis on a neglected issue. Advances in Preventive Medicine, 2015, 1–8. https://doi.10.1155/2015/639239

Tomiyama, A. J., Dallman, M. F., & Epel, E. S. (2011). Comfort food is comforting to those most stressed: evidence of the chronic stress response network in high stress women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36, 1513–1519. https://doi.10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.04.005

Tomiyama, A. J., Schamarek, I., Lustig, R. H., Kirschbaum, C., Puterman, E., Havel, P. J., & Epel, E. S. (2012). Leptin concentrations in response to acute stress predict subsequent intake of comfort foods. Physiology and Behaviour, 107, 34–39. https://doi.10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.04.021

Torres, S. J., & Nowson, C. A. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behaviour, and obesity. Nutrition, 23, 887–894. https://doi.10.1016/j.nut.2007.08.008

Tryon, M. S., Carter, C. S., Decant, R., & Laugero, K. D. (2013). Chronic stress exposure may affect the brain’s response to high calorie food cues and predispose to obesogenic eating habits. Physiology & Behaviour, 120, 233–242. https://doi.10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.010

Tsenkova, V., Boylan, J. M., & Ryff, C. (2013). Stress eating and health. Findings from MIDUS, a national study of US adults. Appetite, 69, 151–155. https://doi.10.1016/j.appet.2013.05.020

Unusan, N. (2006). Linkage between stress and fruit and vegetable intake among university students: an empirical analysis on Turkish students. Nutrition Research, 26, 385–390. https://doi.10.1016/j.nutres.2006.06.002

Wallis, D. J., & Hetherington, M. M. (2009). Emotions and eating. Self-reported and experimentally induced changes in food intake under stress. Appetite, 52, 355–362. https://doi.10.1016/j.appet.2008.11.007

White, G. (1908). Natural history and antiquities of selbourne [Audio book]. London: Cassell and Company.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2004). Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic. Geneva: World Health Organization.

Zeidan, F., Gordon, N. S., Merchant, J., & Goolkasian, P. (2010). The effects of brief mindfulness meditation training on experimentally induced pain. The Journal of Pain, 11, 199–209. https://doi.10.1016/j.pain.2009.07.015

Zeidan, F., Johnson, S. K., Diamond, B. J., David, Z., & Goolkasian, P. (2010). Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and Cognition, 19, 597–605. https://doi.10.1016/j.concog.2010.03.014

Zellner, D. A., Loaiza, S., Gonzalez, Z., Pita, J., Morales, J., Pecora, D., & Wolf, A. (2006). Food selection changes under stress. Physiology & Behaviour, 87, 789–793. https://doi.10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.01.014

Downloads

Published

2019-06-04

How to Cite

Dutt, S. ., Keyte, R. ., Egan, H. ., Hussain, M. ., & Mantzios , M. . (2019). Healthy and unhealthy eating amongst stressed students: considering the influence of mindfulness on eating choices and consumption. Health Psychology Report, 7(2), 113–120. Retrieved from https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/HPR/article/view/7930

Issue

Section

Artykuły