Aim <p>Mindful eating is a multidimensional construct reflecting cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes involved in eating. While mindful eating has been linked to eating behaviors and weight-related outcomes, less is known about its association with adults’ perceptions of popular diets and body mass index (BMI) categories.</p> Methods <p>This cross-sectional study was conducted among 604 adults aged 18–65&#xa0;years living in Konya, Türkiye. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, eating habits, and attitudes toward popular diets were assessed using an online questionnaire. Mindful eating was measured using the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ-30). BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Parametric and nonparametric tests were applied as appropriate, effect sizes were calculated, and ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between MEQ-30 subdimensions and BMI categories.</p> Results <p>Total mindful eating scores differed significantly across age groups, with higher scores observed among younger adults (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Mindful eating was associated with lifestyle characteristics, educational level, employment status, meal frequency, snack consumption, and reasons for skipping meals (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Participants who perceived popular diets as unhealthy or unsustainable reported slightly higher mindful eating scores. Gender differences were observed for emotional eating and eating control. Higher eating control and eating discipline scores were associated with lower odds of higher BMI categories, whereas higher interference scores were associated with increased odds.</p> Conclusions <p>Mindful eating appears to represent a broader behavioral framework influencing eating behaviors rather than a direct determinant of body weight.</p>