so effectively by practicing mindfulness your baseline level of stress is reduced said degan anxiety is a result of the inability to regulate emotional responses to perceived threats the perceived threat in this case is a lack of ability to eat on demand mindfulness meditation strengthens a persons ability to regulate emotions and control behavior according to the study and as a result decrease the stress that comes with being on a diet while there is still more research to be done on the topic the inclusion of mindfulness in a weight loss regimen could increase the chances of successfully losing weight as well as decreasing stress according to the study mindfulness is a promising tool to be used as an adjunctive therapy for childhood obesity either because of its potential to decrease stress or because it could counter act the stressful condition imposed by a restrictive dietary regimen the studys authors concluded yalda safai md mph is a psychiatry resident at new york medical collegemetropolitan hospital center working with the abc news medical unit