This project explores the relationships between nature, mindfulness, eco-anxiety, and sustainable eating behaviors through the application of advanced statistical methods (network analysis) and the implementation of an experimental protocol of mindfulness interventions in natural settings.
PROJECT IMPACT
This project can positively impact the community by raising awareness of how eco-concerns and climate change worry shape food habits. It shows how such awareness can foster eco-friendly choices, like reducing meat intake, favoring plant-based diets, limiting plastic use, reducing food waste and promoting sustainable consumption. However, the project also highlights that if these behaviors become rigid, they may signal psychological distress. In this sense, eco-concern in food is a double-edged sword, capable of fostering sustainability but also contributing to disordered eating risks.
These insights may also influence stakeholders such as advertising agencies as well as policy makers. For example, they suggest that communication strategies should avoid being overly alarmist, since excessively fear-based messages may fail to encourage sustainable habits and could even exacerbate stress and maladaptive eating behaviors. Furthermore, the findings can help shape and inform guidelines for the prevention of eating disorder risks, specifically adapted to the new context of climate change and its impact on food-related concerns.