Effects of mindfulness-based digital health interventions on BMI and weight-related behaviours in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity has become a critical global health issue. Previous researches have demonstrated that mindfulness-based interventions can improve both BMI and weight-related behaviour. Digital delivery improves accessibility, but evidence for BMI and eating outcomes remains inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the available evidence on the impact of such interventions on BMI and weight-related behaviour in adults. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed across PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus. Eligible studies evaluated the effects of mindfulness-based digital health interventions on adult BMI and weight-related behaviour (e.g., binge eating, emotional eating). Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were carried out independently, and meta-analyses were conducted on pre-post intervention outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were included involving 902 participants. Mindfulness-based digital health interventions may significantly improve binge eating [SMD = -0.59, 95%CI: (-1.07, -0.10)], and emotional eating [SMD = -0.23, 95%CI: (-0.45, -0.02)]. No significant effects were observed for uncontrolled eating [SMD = -0.17, 95%CI: (-0.38, 0.05)] or cognitive restraint [SMD = -0.04, 95%CI: (-0.66, 0.59)]. The impact on BMI remained non-significant [MD = -0.44, 95%CI: (-1.70, 0.82)]. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness-based digital health interventions effectively alleviated emotional eating and binge eating; however, the improvement in BMI was not significant. These findings suggest that future research should focus on continually refining the details of the intervention protocol to enhance study robustness. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251125050, PROSPERO, identifier number CRD420251125050.