Nourish to Flourish: A mindful eating intervention for older adults improves dietary awareness and well-being

Abstract

Background

Mindfulness, when applied to eating, involves attention to the physical and emotional sensation of eating and satiety without judgement. This awareness may in turn modulate the desire to eat, choice and amount of food, and eating speed.

Aims

This study aimed to examine the effect of a community-based mindful eating program on eating behavior and wellness.

Method

Nourish to Flourish is a 4-week mindful eating program designed for adults 55 years or older across seven sites in the Chicagoland area implemented from July to October 2024. Facilitators guided participants through a structured curriculum that emphasized eating with intention, recognizing hunger and fullness cues, and fostering a positive relationship with food. Participants completed pre- and post-program surveys assessing mindful eating behaviors, self-reported health, spirituality, and engagement in healthy behaviors as part of a single-arm pre–post evaluation. Paired samples t-tests were conducted to examine changes in key outcomes for participants who completed the program.

Results

Among 98 participants who attended the first session, 78 completed the pre-and-post survey. Findings revealed statistically significant improvements from pre to post in the following measures: mindful eating inventory, healthy eating identity, spirituality, healthy behaviors checklist and self-reported health. Participants evaluated the program highly; 93.4% rated their satisfaction with the program as excellent and 100% claimed they would continue mindful eating practices.

Conclusions

Nourish to Flourish was successful in improving several aspects related to mindfulness, dietary awareness, and spirituality. Future studies may focus on the long-term sustainability of these results.