The Role of Stress Awareness in Mindless Overeating: HRV and EDA Study

Mindless eating, where individuals consume food without paying attention to hunger or satiety cues, is a significant contributor to overeating and associated health issues such as obesity and diabetes. This paper investigates the relationship between mindless eating and stress levels, hypothesizing that a lack of awareness of over-consumption during mindless eating reduces stress compared to mindful eating. In this work, we measured and compared changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance (SC) during episodes of mindless and mindful overeating using Photoplethysmography (PPG) and Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensors. Results indicated a significantly higher HRV during mindless eating (p<0.05), suggesting that individuals experience less psychological stress during these episodes. This finding supports the hypothesis that reduced awareness of mindless eating is associated with lower stress levels, potentially contributing to continued overeating behaviour. The implications of this research underscore the need for further exploration into how awareness and mindfulness can influence eating habits and overall health.