Educational intervention for food consciousness: A randomized study protocol

Background: Contemporary living conditions present opportunities that promote obesity. In addition, traditional nutritional intervention have been considered inefficient, and there is a demand for the development and evaluation of strategies not based on the traditional paradigm of diets. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the Food and Nutrition Education Program with Sensory and Cognitive Exercises (PESC), which seeks to promote consciousness of eating experience and body signals appreciation to adult women and thus to make them less vulnerable to food consumption stimuli. Method: This protocol outlines a randomized study that will include 60 adult women. PESC is based on the sensory influence for eating behavior and on the Triple-Aspect Monism theory of consciousness. It is composed of exercises that explore sensory, cognitive and emotional aspects of food experience in order to promote it into a conscious process. The program consists of four weekly workshops that explore themes related to the current obesogenic environment problematic. The intervention group (n=30) will be evaluated at the beginning of the first workshop and after the last one. The control group (n=30) will not participate on the workshops and will be evaluated twice, with a one-month interval. Conclusions: This study will contribute substantially to the development of nutritional interventions based on sensory aspects and consciousness of food experience. Therefore, PESC is considered an innovative approach with regard to improving individuals’ eating behavior. Trial registry: This clinical trial was registered with the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC), http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-4qgpg5/,numberRBR-4qgpg5.