Background: Emotional eating (EE) may be defined as a tendency to eat in response to negative emotions and energy-dense and palatable foods, and is common amongst adults with overweight or obesity. There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions that address EE.
Objectives: To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of EE interventions for weight loss and EE in adults living with overweight or obesity.
Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Adhering to the PRISMA guidance, a comprehensive electronic search was completed up to February 2022. Random effects meta-analysis was carried out to determine the percentage change in weight and EE scores.
Results: Thirty-four studies were included. The combined effect size for percentage weight change was -1.08% (95% CI: -1.66 to -0.49, I2 = 64.65%, n = 37), once adjusted for publication bias. Similarly, the combined effect size for percentage change in EE was -2.37%, (95% CI: -3.76 to -0.99, I2 = 87.77%, n = 46). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy showed the most promise for reducing weight and improving EE.
Conclusions: Interventions to address EE showed promise in reducing EE and promoted a small amount of weight loss in adults living with overweight or obesity.
Keywords: behaviour; emotional eating; mindfulness; obesity; systematic review; weight.