Changes over time in the relationship between weight, body fat, motivation, impulsivity and eating behaviour

Abstract Background University students are at a greater risk of gaining weight compared to others. We explored associations between changes in weight and a set of dispositional constructs related to eating behaviour: motivation, impulsivity, social comparison, and eating styles. We predicted that increases in controlled motivation, impulsivity, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and physical appearance comparison would be related to increased weight and body fat. Methods First year students at a British university completed baseline (n = 196) and three-month (n = 163) measures of impulsivity, physical appearance comparison, motivation for following a healthy diet, eating styles, weight and body fat. Baseline-follow-up changes in these constructs were computed and subjected to cluster analysis. Results Four participant groups were identified according to similarities in the way these constructs evolved over time. The Losing and Gaining groups tended to show opposing changes in key variables (physical appearance comparison, uncontrolled eating, motivation, weight, and percentage of body fat). Interestingly, two groups showed no change in weight and body fat but evidenced unique changes in key variables, indicating that individuals can have different psychological profiles but still maintain their weight. Conclusions The study highlighted how stable weight maintenance arises from sets of interdependent constructs rather than variables in isolation, as well as emphasizing a need to take a person-centred approach to examining those at risk of weight gain and in developing interventions.

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ADIPOQ gene is linked to emotional eating behaviour in young Nigerian adults independent of psychological traits

Bulletin of the National Research Centre ◽

10.1186/s42269-020-00450-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Awoyemi Abayomi Awofala ◽

Olusegun Emmanuel Ogundele ◽

Khalid Olajide Adekoya

Keyword(s):

Emotional Eating ◽

Genetic Variant ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Biological Factors ◽

Psychological Traits ◽

Adipoq Gene ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Beta Coefficient ◽

And Gender ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Abstract Background A disturbance in eating behaviour (EB) is the hallmark of patients with eating disorders, and depicts a complex interaction of environmental, psychological and biological factors. In the present study, we propose a model of association of genetic susceptibility—represented by adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene—with eating behavioural and psychological traits. Results Evaluation of the distribution of a polymorphism of the ADIPOQ (rs1501299 G > T) with respect to three EB factors involving cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating revealed that T-allele in rs1501299 was associated with a decreased susceptibility to emotional EB in codominant (e.g., GG vs. TT) (beta-coefficient [β] = 2.39, 95% Confidence interval [CI] = − 4.02, − 0.76; p value [p] = 0.02), recessive (GG + GT vs. TT) (β = − 2.77, 95% CI = − 3.65, − 0.69; p = 0.005) and additive (GG = 0, GT = 1, TT = 2) (β = − 1.02, 95% CI = − 1.80, − 0.24; p = 0.01) models of inheritance. The presence of the T-allele was not significantly associated with psychological factors involving depression, anxiety and stress. Finally, none of the psychological traits significantly predicted any of the EB factors after controlling for age, body weight and gender. Conclusions Our data suggest that genetic variant in ADIPOQ locus may influence human emotional eating behaviour.

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Eating Behavior, Physical Activity and Exercise Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Young Healthy Adults

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12123685 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3685

Author(s):

Wendy D. Martinez-Avila ◽

Guillermo Sanchez-Delgado ◽

Francisco M. Acosta ◽

Lucas Jurado-Fasoli ◽

Pauline Oustric ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Vigorous Intensity ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Regular physical activity (PA) is an important part of the treatment of several medical conditions, including overweight and obesity, in which there may be a weakened appetite control. Eating behaviour traits influence weight control and may be different in active and sedentary subjects. This paper reports the relationships between the time spent in sedentary behaviour and physical activity (PA) of different intensity, and eating behaviour traits in young, healthy adults. Additionally, it reports the results of a six-month-long, randomized, controlled trial to examine the effect of an exercise intervention on eating behaviour traits. A total of 139 young (22.06 ± 2.26 years) healthy adults (68.35% women) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 24.95 ± 4.57 kg/m2 were enrolled. Baseline assessments of habitual PA were made using wrist-worn triaxial accelerometers; eating behaviour traits were examined via the self-reported questionnaires: Binge Eating, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 and Control of Eating Questionnaire. The subjects were then randomly assigned to one of three groups: control (usual lifestyle), moderate-intensity exercise (aerobic and resistance training 3¨C4 days/week at a heart rate equivalent to 60% of the heart rate reserve (HRres) for the aerobic component, and at 50% of the 1 repetition maximum (RM) for the resistance component), or vigorous-intensity exercise (the same training but at 80% HRres for half of the aerobic training, and 70% RM for the resistance training). At baseline, sedentary behaviour was inversely associated with binge eating (r = −0.181, p < 0.05) and with uncontrolled eating (r = −0.286, p = 0.001). Moderate PA (MPA) was inversely associated with craving control (r = −0.188, p < 0.05). Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was directly associated with binge eating (r = 0.302, p < 0.001) and uncontrolled eating (r = 0.346, p < 0.001), and inversely associated with craving control (r = −0.170, p < 0.015). Overall, PA was directly associated with binge eating (r = 0.275, p = 0.001), uncontrolled eating (r = 0.321, p < 0.001) and emotional eating (r = 0.204, p < 0.05). Additionally, only emotional eating was modified by the intervention, increasing in the vigorous-intensity exercise group (p < 0.05). In summary, we observed that time spent in sedentary behaviour/PA of different intensity is associated with eating behaviour traits, especially binge eating in young adults. In contrast, the six-month exercise intervention did not lead to appreciable changes in eating behaviour traits.

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Anxiety, stress, and binge eating tendencies in adolescence: a prospective approach

Journal of Eating Disorders ◽

10.1186/s40337-021-00444-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michele C. Lim ◽

Sam Parsons ◽

Alessia Goglio ◽

Elaine Fox

Keyword(s):

Binge Eating ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Interaction Model ◽

Model Fit ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Random Intercept ◽

Interaction Term ◽

Uncontrolled Eating ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Recent years have witnessed an increasing prevalence of binge eating tendencies in adolescence—warranting a clearer understanding of their underlying predisposing and precipitating factors. The current study investigated whether the interaction between high levels of anxiety and stress predicted increased levels of binge eating tendencies in a prospective cohort of adolescents (N = 324). Methods Measurements were taken over three waves (M ages: 13.33, 14.48, 15.65) as part of the CogBIAS Longitudinal Study. Longitudinal associations between levels of anxiety and stress with binge eating tendencies were estimated using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), which calculates within-person fluctuations over time while accounting for individual trait-like stability and between-person variations. Binge eating tendencies were measured by the Cognitive Restraint, Uncontrolled Eating, and Emotional Eating styles from the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18. Two models were created for each binge eating tendencies variable: (1) a basic model with anxiety and stress as independent variables; (2) an interaction model with an additional anxiety*stress interaction term. Model fit was assessed by SEM fit indices: X2, CFI, NFI, TLI, RMSEA, SRMR. Superior model fit was ascertained by a chi-square difference test (p < .05). Results For Cognitive Restraint, the interaction model demonstrated superior fit to the data (p < .05). The anxiety*stress interaction at Waves 1 and 2 was significantly negatively associated with Cognitive Restraint at Waves 2 (β = −0.18, p = .002) and 3 (β = −0.14, p = .002)—suggesting that anxiety and stress interacted to predict increased binge eating tendencies linked with cognitive restraint over and above their independent effects. In contrast, the interaction term between anxiety*stress did not predict levels of Uncontrolled Eating or Emotional Eating over time. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of increasing awareness of the interaction between concurrently high anxiety and stress as a potential risk factor for binge eating tendencies in young people. Trial registration Not applicable.

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Effectiveness of Counselling on Diet Quality and Physical Activity with Cognitive Counselling for Overweight and Obese Women-A Randomized Clinical Trial

Cognition Brain Behavior An Interdisciplinary Journal ◽

10.24193/cbb.2021.25.10 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 199-219

Author(s):

Fatemeh Doran ◽

Mahmonir Haghighi ◽

Rasoul Zarrin

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Weight Maintenance ◽

Calorie Intake ◽

Obese Women ◽

The Impact ◽

Uncontrolled Eating ◽

Short Intervention

Various treatments for obesity exist that actually work, however, a great deal of them face the issue of weight regain. Hence, there is this desire to focus on health measures that can be predictors of weight maintenance. This study explores whether four sessions of group-based cognitive counselling can lead to superior results compared to counselling on diet and physical activity only, in terms of eating behavior, calorie intake, diet quality, weight, and physical activity. We conducted a randomized trial for this purpose. Our findings suggest that a short intervention of cognitive counselling can lead to improved emotional eating and uncontrolled eating. Both conditions showed significant improvement in diet quality, cognitive restraint on eating, weight, BMI, calorie intake, and physical activity, while between group differences remained non-significant. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of brief cognitive counselling on measures of weight maintenance in long term.

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Sensory perception and psychological aspects of eating behavior: factors influencing fat hedonics in Malaysia

International Journal of Food Studies ◽

10.7455/ijfs/9.2.2020.a4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 307-318

Author(s):

Yun Fei Tan ◽

See Kwong Goh ◽

See Wan Yan

Keyword(s):

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Psychological Aspects ◽

High Fat ◽

Obesity Epidemic ◽

Food Items ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Three Factor Eating Questionnaire ◽

Uncontrolled Eating ◽

The Relationship

Understanding the causes of obesity epidemic requires examination of what contributes to preference of palatable foods. Using a sensorial-consumer approach, this research examined the relationship between the sensation of the hedonic liking of fat with psychological and weight profiles. The study began with preliminary testing of the hedonic ratings of 24 food items (12 low fat (LF), 12 high fat(HF)) and completion of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) investigating cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating aspects. Eight (8) out of the twelve (12) food pairs that had discriminating characteristics were selected, for inclusion in the study, by 347 panellists. Results showed that overweight individuals had significantly lower liking towards LF sensation (4.27±2.13, p= 0.001) but significantly higher liking towards HF sensation (5.26±2.33, p= 0.001), compared to normal BMI individuals who had a significantly higher liking towards LF sensation (5.69±2.35, p= 0.001) but significantly lower liking towards HF sensation (4.17±2.40, p= 0.001). The Pearson product-moment correlation revealed similar trends on the association between liking of fat sensation and eating behaviour regardless of weight statuses. Specifically, cognitive restrainers were found to prefer the LF sensation while HF sensation were more favoured among uncontrolled and emotional eaters. This highlights the importance of investigating the combined effect of psychological aspects of eating behaviour and weight profiles towards liking of fat sensation.

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Interactions of obesity associated behaviours, BMI, age, sex, and FTO genotype

10.7190/shu-thesis-00357 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Hanan Abdella

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Caloric Intake ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Related Factors ◽

Food Cravings ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Behavioural Regulation ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Obesity is a complicated condition which occurs due to interactions between many contributing physiological, psychological and genetic factors. Age, sex and body mass index (BMI) are also important in the interaction with obesity-related factors leading to a rise in this epidemic. Knowledge about the interactions that happen between these factors provides a basis for the development of body mass-reducing interventions for people with obesity. Eating behaviours affect caloric intake and are implicated in the development of obesity. Three types of eating behaviours namely; 1) cognitive restraint, 2) emotional eating and 3) uncontrolled eating have been studied for associations with obesity in various populations. Food cravings refer to an irresistible urge to eat a specific type of food which has been implied to contribute to a loss of control over eating. The experience of food cravings is related to higher BMI and obesity. Motivation to exercise is also an important factor that influences people´s eating habits as shown in previous studies. A taxonomy where motivation is organised in the form of a continuum that covers the different degrees of self-determination of behaviour, from the non-self-determined, to the self-determined, established three types of motivation (amotivation, extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation) and a series of behavioural regulation stages (amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation and intrinsic regulation). Problems with emotional regulation may contribute to the development and maintenance of abnormal eating behaviour. Alexithymia is defined as an inability to describe and/or recognise one's own emotions and is considered a common feature in eating disorders. Alexithymia is likely to be associated with problems in modulating affect and with difficulties in the interpersonal and social realm. The programme of research as part of this PhD was conducted on 424 volunteers from Sheffield Hallam University students and staff, and there were 183 participants of weight-loss interventions. Eating behaviours were measured using the revised Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18); food cravings were measured by the food cravings inventory (FCI), motivation for exercise using the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) and alexithymia was measured by The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS 20). DNA samples were genotyped using the TaqMan method for the rs9939609 polymorphism in the obesity-associated gene FTO. Questionnaire data were analysed for associations between the TFEQ-R18 and FCI, BREQ2 and TAS20 subscales for the whole study group, and the group divided by sex, genotype, age (≤ 25 years vs > 25 years) and BMI (<30kg/m² and ≥30kg/m²). Regression and mediation analyses were used to explore the relationships between BMI, eating behaviours, food cravings, motivation to exercise and alexithymia. The key findings from each of the experimental chapters in this thesis is 1) Increased cognitive restraint was associated with decreased food craving scores in the ≤ 25 years group; in this group the association between BMI and reduced food cravings was mediated by cognitive restraint indicating that in this age group individuals use cognitive restraint to control their food cravings. 2) Motivation to exercise interacts with eating behaviours and high motivation to exercise is associated with low BMI, people with obesity were less motivated than non-obese, emotional eating is the mediator between external regulations and high BMI. 3) There is a positive relationship between BMI and alexithymia in females, but in contrast there is an inverse relationship in men. The relationship between BMI and alexithymia was stronger in the AA+ AT genotype group than TT genotype. Uncontrolled eating and emotional eating mediate the effect of alexithymia on BMI and this is different between males and females and between genotype groups; particularly in females with the risk genotype, alexithymia were associated with high uncontrolled eating and emotional eating and so higher BMI. Males and/or people with the TT genotype are less at risk of this influence of alexithymia on BMI. These findings will help in the treatment of obesity by informing personal intervention programmes for each person according to his or her situation.

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Disorganized attachment predicts body mass index via uncontrolled eating

10.31219/osf.io/edf65 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Laura L. Wilkinson ◽

Angela C Rowe ◽

Abigail Millings

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Attachment Orientation ◽

Indirect Relationship ◽

Uncontrolled Eating ◽

First Time

Background/Objectives: Previous research has demonstrated relationships between attachment orientations (expectations of ourselves and others in interpersonal relationships), eating behaviours and obesity. However, such research has been limited to investigations of ‘organised’ forms of attachment orientation (reflecting coherent and predictable patterns of behaviour). Theoretically, aberrant eating behaviours and body mass index, should also be related to ‘disorganised attachment.’ Subjects: Here we test these relationships for the first time in a general population. Secondary data analyses of a pre-existing dataset were conducted (N = 537).Methods used: Questionnaire measures of organised (avoidant and anxious) and disorganised attachment were included alongside eating behaviour measures (emotional eating, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restraint) and body mass index (BMI). Results: Parallel multiple mediation analysis (PROCESS) showed that uncontrolled eating (but not emotional eating or cognitive restraint) significantly mediated a relationship between disorganised attachment and body mass index (significant indirect relationship; LLCI = .02 ULCI = .16) when both attachment anxiety and avoidance were included as covariates. Conclusions: We suggest that the mechanism underpinning this indirect relationship is a form of maladaptive affect regulation, but that the behavioural motivators differ from those observed in attachment anxious individuals. Rather than eating being a premeditated strategy used by individuals high in disorganised attachment to manage emotion, opportunities to eat are simply taken as they present themselves. An extended theoretical model is presented that incorporates, for the first time, both organized and disorganized forms of attachment orientation into our understanding of eating behavior.

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Eating Behaviour among University Students: Relationships with Age, Socioeconomic Status, Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Height Ratio and Social Desirability

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13103622 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 3622

Author(s):

Joanna Kowalkowska ◽

Rui Poínhos

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

University Students ◽

Social Desirability ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Main Effect ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Eating behaviour is of particular interest for research focusing on body weight status. However, little is known about the relationships of certain factors, especially social desirability, with self-reported eating behaviour such as cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating among young adult males and females. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between eating behaviour and age, socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and social desirability among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 353 university students (59.2% females). Eating behaviour was assessed using the 13-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-13). SES and PA were determined using self-reporting, and the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale assessed social desirability. BMI and WHtR were calculated based on measured parameters. Associations between self-reported eating behaviour and other variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multivariate general linear models. Cognitive restraint was positively correlated with BMI and WHtR in both males (r = 0.174, P = 0.036 and r = 0.194, P = 0.020, respectively) and females (r = 0.239, P < 0.001 and r = 0.165, P = 0.017, respectively), and emotional eating was positively correlated with BMI among females (r = 0.184, P = 0.008). Social desirability was negatively correlated with uncontrolled eating (r = −0.287, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (r = −0.301, P < 0.001) among females. There were no significant correlations between eating behaviour and age or socioeconomic status (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that, among males, PA had a main effect on emotional eating (ηp2 = 0.044, F = 6.276, P = 0.013). Among females, cognitive restraint was positively associated with PA (ηp2 = 0.034, F = 7.127, P = 0.008) and BMI (ηp2 = 0.038, F = 7.959, P = 0.005), and emotional eating with BMI (ηp2 = 0.032, F = 6.638, P = 0.011). Social desirability had the highest main effect on eating behaviour among females, being negatively associated with uncontrolled eating (ηp2 = 0.077, F = 16.754, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (ηp2 = 0.082, F = 18.046, P < 0.001). This study showed that PA, BMI, WHtR, and social desirability were associated with self-reported eating behaviour among university students. Social desirability bias should be considered when evaluating uncontrolled eating and emotional eating among females.

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Effects of psychological eating behaviour domains on the association between socio-economic status and BMI

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980017001653 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (15) ◽

pp. 2706-2712 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Antje Löffler ◽

Tobias Luck ◽

Francisca S Then ◽

Claudia Luck-Sikorski ◽

Alexander Pabst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Eating ◽

Economic Status ◽

Adult Population ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Population Based ◽

Restrained Eating ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Socio Economic Status ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

AbstractObjectiveThe current study investigates potential pathways from socio-economic status (SES) to BMI in the adult population, considering psychological domains of eating behaviour (restrained eating, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating) as potential mediators stratified for sex.DesignData were derived from the population-based cross-sectional LIFE-Adult-Study. Parallel-mediation models were conducted to obtain the total, direct and indirect effects of psychological eating behaviour domains on the association between SES and BMI for men and for women.SettingLeipzig, Germany.SubjectsWe studied 5935 participants aged 18 to 79 years.ResultsUncontrolled eating mediated the association between SES and BMI in men only and restrained eating in both men and women. Emotional eating did not act as mediator in this relationship. The total effect of eating behaviour domains on the association between SES and BMI was estimated as β=−0·03 (se 0·02; 95 % CI −0·062, −0·003) in men and β=−0·18 (se 0·02; 95 % CI −0·217, −0·138) in women.ConclusionsOur findings do not indicate a strong overall mediation effect of the eating behaviour domains restrained eating, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating on the association between SES and BMI. Further research on other pathways of this association is strongly recommended. Importantly, our findings indicate that, independent from one’s social position, focusing on psychological aspects in weight reduction might be a promising approach.

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Predictors of binge eating: relevance of BMI, emotional eating and sensivity to environmental food cues

Nutrition & Food Science ◽

10.1108/nfs-02-2021-0062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Maša Černelič-Bizjak ◽

Raquel P.F. Guiné

Keyword(s):

Binge Eating ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Weight Status ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Health Problems ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Content Type ◽

External Eating ◽

Eating Styles

Purpose Understanding humans’ food intake practices is helpful in reducing health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between eating behaviours and binge eating and to examine the influence of sex and weight status on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A total of seventy-eight participants (39 with overweight; mean age: 38.1 ± 6.3 years; body mass index [BMI]: 25 ± 5.7 kg/m2) underwent measurements of binge eating, eating styles and body compositions. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to predict binge eating as a function of eating styles and demographic variables. Findings Women presented higher levels of binge eating symptomatology and emotional eating than men. The analysis showed that age and gender did not emerge as important predictors of binge eating. In contrast, emotional and external eating and BMI were found to be important predictors of binge eating. The results indicate that higher emotional and external eating behaviour with higher BMI are important risk factors for binge eating in a non-clinical sample. Originality/value In this study, BMI was used as a causal factor rather than a consequence of deregulation of eating behaviour. An individual’s tendency to binge eat may be determined by BMI, emotional eating and sensitivity to environmental food stimuli. Understanding sex differences and causal relationships between eating behaviours is critical for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related health problems and for proper dietary management.

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