Inside Eatiful’s independent evaluation

Eatiful commissioned an independent evaluation report on the Eatiful app, and the results are in! Of course, we believe in our own product, but reading the cold hard facts about the Eatiful app was really something. We’re excited to share a few insights from that independent evaluation which give us an evidence-informed picture of how people engage with Eatiful and what can change when people adopt mindful eating practices.

What we did

Eatiful commissioned an independent consultant who created a three-month observational study. Participants were recruited and asked to use the Eatiful app for a 12-week period. The group of participants fed back via user surveys, Mindful Eating Scale questionnaire, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), and user feedback and interviews.  In line with strict research ethics procedures, the Eatiful team was entirely hands-off,  and we basically had no idea what we were to find until we received the report.

To our absolute joy (but honestly not to our surprise), we received a report yesterday that told us Eatiful, as a digital therapeutic tool, is strong in many areas. Of course, we also learned some awesome suggestions for improvement, but let’s start with the good stuff.

What we learned

Here’s what we learned:

1. Participants lost weight

This is huge news. Although Eatiful is not a diet and doesn’t prescribe medication or any sort of restrictive diet, the evaluation observed statistically significant reductions in weight over 12 weeks based on self-reported data.

It’s important to note that this was an observational finding, not a clinical trial, but it’s an encouraging signal: weight loss (with no dietary advice and no medication) was statistically significant. Those who stayed the course of the study lost the most weight, but there was still significant weight reduction in those who did not complete.

2. Participants became more aware; and more in control

Participants reported meaningful shifts in how they relate to food:

• noticing fullness earlier,

• chewing more,

• slowing down during meals,

• leaving food when satisfied,

• and acting with more intention and less impulsivity.

This increased awareness wasn’t just behavioural; for many, it was emotional, too. People recognised triggers, challenged long-held food rules, and described feeling less guilt and more freedom around eating.

3. Eatiful can act as a non-restrictive, non-judgemental alternative to dieting

With 79% of participants having attempted weight loss more than ten times before, it’s no surprise - to me at least - that they described Eatiful as refreshing, kind, and emotionally safe. Many had tried calorie counting, fasting, and commercial diet programmes. Eatiful offered something different:

• no food rules

• no tracking

• no calorie counting

• no restriction

Eatiful offers simple, structured, daily support to help people change their eating habits; sustainably.

4. People enjoyed their food more

Some of the most striking findings come from ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data. EMA is a method of collecting real-time data about people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours - ‘in the moment’.

• Slower eating was linked with greater enjoyment of meals

• A sense of wellbeing after eating improved over time

Eatiful is very much about enjoying food more, and I believe that enjoyment helps people naturally regulate their eating without force or restriction.

5. There’s a strong fit for midlife women

The majority of participants were women in their 50s, with many navigating perimenopause or menopause. They described Eatiful as supportive, reassuring, and aligned with their needs during a challenging stage of life. This reinforces what we’ve seen at Eatiful: mindful eating resonates deeply with women who feel “tired of dieting” and want a compassionate, empowering alternative.

6. The Eatiful experience is grounded in behavioural science

The evaluation confirms that Eatiful aligns with established behaviour-change frameworks, including:

• COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation)

• Mindful Eating Theory

• Self-Determination Theory

• Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) like prompts, feedback, habit formation, and self-monitoring

This reflects our commitment to responsible, psychology-based digital health innovation.

Why this matters for the future of weight care

We’re living through a major shift in how society thinks about weight, wellbeing, and health. Medicated approaches are growing rapidly, the pharmacology is extremely interesting and game-changing. Meanwhile, traditional ideas around dieting is losing trust, and more and more health-conscious consumers and patients are wary of restrictive diets, fad diets, and narrow nutritional approaches. People are seeking safer, psychological, more humane alternatives that address weight holistically.

Eatiful sits at the centre of that shift.

We think this evaluation shows:

• People want and value psychological support

• People can change their relationship with food - even after decades of unsustainable dieting

• Mindful eating is resonating deeply with those who feel left behind by diets and who maybe don’t want medication

• Positive changes can happen without telling people what to eat

And this is just the start.

What’s Next?

We’re continuing to build Eatiful, working with partners, and deepening our evidence base through ongoing academic research. Our mission remains simple: to make psychology-first, data-informed weight care accessible to everyone.

If you’d like to collaborate, partner with us, or explore how Eatiful can complement weight-care programmes (including medicated pathways), let’s connect.