The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Eating Behavior Training on Eating Attitudes

May 6, 2026 updated by: ümüş özbey yücel, Ankara University

The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Eating Behavior Training on Eating Attitudes in Individuals With Orthorexic Tendencies: A Randomized Controlled Study

In recent years, the increasing interest in healthy eating and access to "pure" foods has led to the widespread adoption of selective and control-oriented eating attitudes. In some individuals, this situation has contributed to an increase in tendencies toward Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), in which the pursuit of healthy eating takes on a pathological dimension. ON is characterized by perfectionism related to healthy eating, intense anxiety, cognitive rigidity, and, over time, the development of guilt, avoidance behaviors, and social restriction. The promotion of such behaviors through media and social media further hinders the recognition of ON and facilitates its hidden spread. The concept of mindfulness, which has gained prominence in recent years, aims to help individuals observe bodily sensations, emotional responses, and thoughts that arise during the eating process with a nonjudgmental awareness. In the literature, the relationship between ON and mindfulness has mostly been examined through cross-sectional studies, while intervention-based studies targeting orthorexic individuals remain limited. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a mindfulness-based eating behavior training program developed for orthorexic individuals on eating attitudes. The study will be conducted using a randomized controlled experimental design within the framework of an original program developed with contributions from expert researchers in the fields of psychology and nutrition. The effects of the training program applied to the intervention group will be evaluated comparatively with those of the control group. Data obtained from the study will be analyzed using SPSS, RStudio, and JASP software packages. The distributional properties of the variables will be examined using visual and analytical methods. Group comparisons, changes over time, and group-by-time interaction effects will be analyzed using appropriate parametric and nonparametric statistical methods, and the level of statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults with the cognitive capacity to understand the online questionnaires and the training program
  • Access to the internet
  • Score 30 or higher on the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS)

Exclusion Criteria

  • Presence of any neuropsychiatric disorder
  • Diagnosed eating disorder
  • Current participation in a mindfulness-based intervention
  • Score below 30 on the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Education group
Education group: Participants assigned to the education group will receive structured educational sessions related to the study topic
Behavioral: Mindfulness based nutrition education intervention
This study will be conducted using a randomized controlled experimental design. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. Individuals in the intervention group will receive a mindfulness-based eating behavior training program delivered over a six-week period, while the control group will not receive any intervention during this time. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will be administered to both groups to evaluate changes in eating-related outcomes.
No Intervention: Control group
Control group: Participants assigned to the control group will receive standard of care and will not receive the investigational intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of participants who completed the training program
Time Frame: Approximately 6-8 weeks after the initiation of the study
Completion is defined as full participation in all components of the education program during the study period.
Approximately 6-8 weeks after the initiation of the study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of participants who completed the six-week training program
Time Frame: approximately 6-8 weeks after the initiation of the study
Completion is defined as attendance at 100% of the scheduled education sessions during the six-week training period. The outcome will be reported as the percentage of participants who met this completion criterion.
approximately 6-8 weeks after the initiation of the study

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ankara University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

July 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 21, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 6, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • AmasyaUni2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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