Eating Behaviours and Food Cravings; Influence of Age, Sex, BMI and FTO Genotype

Previous studies indicate that eating behaviours and food cravings are associated with increased BMI and obesity. However, the interaction between these behaviours and other variables such as age, sex, BMI and genetics is complex. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between eating behaviours and food cravings, and to examine the influence of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) genotype on these relationships. A total of 475 participants (252 female, 223 male, BMI: 25.82 ± 6.14 kg/m2, age: 30.65 ± 14.20 years) completed the revised 18-question version of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) to assess cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating, and the Food Cravings Inventory (FCI) to assess cravings for fatty food, sweet food, carbohydrates and fast food. DNA samples were genotyped for the rs9939609 polymorphism in the obesity-linked gene FTO. Questionnaire data was analysed for associations between the TFEQ-R18 and FCI subscales for the whole study group, and the group divided by sex, genotype and age (≤25 years versus >25 years). Finally, mediation analysis was used to explore the relationships between BMI, cognitive restraint and food cravings. FTO AA + AT genotype was associated with increased BMI, but not with differences in eating behavior scores or food craving scores; age was associated with increased BMI and decreases in food craving scores in which this effect was stronger in women compared to men. Increased cognitive restraint was associated with decreased food craving scores in the ≤25 years group. Mediation analysis demonstrated that 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. The positive correlation between age and BMI confirms previous results but the findings of this study show that age, sex, FTO genotype and BMI have an influence on the relationships between eating behaviours and food cravings and that these variables interact.

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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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Food Cravings and Eating: The Role of Experiential Avoidance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16071181 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. 1181 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amy Fahrenkamp ◽

Katherine Darling ◽

Elizabeth Ruzicka ◽

Amy Sato

Keyword(s):

Experiential Avoidance ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Transitional Period ◽

Late Adolescents ◽

Food Cravings ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Problematic Eating ◽

Problematic Eating Behaviors ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Food cravings have been associated with problematic eating behaviors, such as emotional eating. Late adolescence is an important developmental period to examine this association, as late adolescents have greater independence in food choices as well as potentially higher demands during a transitional period of their lives. Mechanisms underlying the association between food cravings and problematic eating remain unclear. This study examined whether experiential avoidance (EA) may be one possible mechanism mediating the association between higher levels of food cravings and problematic eating behaviors. Late adolescents (n = 174) completed measures assessing EA, food cravings, and three problematic eating behaviors: emotional eating, cognitive restraint, and uncontrolled eating. Height and weight were measured objectively to calculate body mass index (BMI). Food cravings were positively associated with emotional eating and mediated by EA. EA also significantly mediated the association between greater cognitive restraint and greater food cravings. No significant mediation was detected for food cravings and uncontrolled eating. Future research may consider EA as a treatment target in intervention strategies for late adolescents seeking to decrease emotional or restrained eating behaviors.

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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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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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Evaluation of nutritional behaviour related to COVID-19

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980020004140 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Funda Elmacıoğlu ◽

Elif Emiroğlu ◽

Mutlu Tuçe Ülker ◽

Berkin Özyılmaz Kırcali ◽

Sena Oruç

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Virus Disease ◽

The Body ◽

Weight Changes ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

The Future ◽

Cognitive Restriction ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Abstract Objective: It is known that social isolation process has an impact on individuals’ eating behaviours. Continuing nutritional behaviour resulting from emotional eating, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restriction may turn into eating disorders in the future. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible effects of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social isolation process on individuals’ nutritional behaviours and body weight changes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Nutritional behaviours of the participants before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the social isolation process were evaluated with the Three Factor Nutrition Questionnaire. The changes in individuals’ body weight during this period were also evaluated. Participants: A total of 1036 volunteer individuals (827 women, 209 men) aged 18 years and over participated in the study. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation process, there was an increase in emotional eating and uncontrolled eating behaviours of individuals, but no significant change in cognitive restriction behaviour occurred (P = <0·00; P = <0·00 and P = 0·53, respectively). It was reported that the body weight of 35 % of the individuals who participated in the study increased during this period. Conclusion: Social isolation process practiced as a result of COVID-19 pandemic may lead to changes in some nutritional behaviours. Some precautions should be taken to prevent this situation that occurs in nutritional behaviours from causing negative health problems in the future.

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Obesity susceptibility loci and uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and cognitive restraint behaviors in men and women

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.20592 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. E135-E141 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Marilyn C. Cornelis ◽

Eric B. Rimm ◽

Gary C. Curhan ◽

Peter Kraft ◽

David J. Hunter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Eating ◽

Susceptibility Loci ◽

Men And Women ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Obesity Susceptibility ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

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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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Association between Cognitive Restraint, Uncontrolled Eating, Emotional Eating and BMI and the Amount of Food Wasted in Early Adolescent Girls

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10091279 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1279 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jinan Banna ◽

Chloe Panizza ◽

Carol Boushey ◽

Edward Delp ◽

Eunjung Lim

Keyword(s):

Total Energy ◽

Adolescent Girls ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Linear Models ◽

Early Adolescent ◽

Food Record ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Unit Increase ◽

Uncontrolled Eating ◽

Three Factor

Understanding of behavioral factors associated with obesity is of importance in addressing this issue. This study examined the association between cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and body mass index (BMI) and amount of food plated, consumed, leftovers, and leftover food thrown into the trash (food wasted) in early adolescent girls nine to 13 years in O’ahu, Hawai’i (n = 93). Food plated, consumed, leftovers, and food wasted were estimated using a three-day mobile food record™ (mFR). Weight and height were measured to compute BMI (kg/m2). The three-factor eating questionnaire provided a score from 0 to 100 for cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Higher scores are indicative of greater cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Pearson’s correlations were computed to examine the relationship between three factor eating scores and BMI. General linear models were conducted to examine the effect of each of three-factor eating scores on food plated, consumed, leftovers, and food wasted. Cognitive restraint was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.36, p < 0.001) and with BMI z-score (r = 0.40, p < 0.001). There were no associations between three-factor eating scores and food plated, consumed, leftovers, and food wasted at lunch. However, at dinner, total energy plated, left over, and food wasted increased by 4.24 kcal/day (p = 0.030), 1.67 kcal/day (p = 0.002), and 0.93 kcal/day (p = 0.031), respectively, with a unit increase in uncontrolled eating score. Similarly, total energy plated and energy left over at dinner increased by 3.40 kcal/day (p = 0.045) and 1.51 kcal/day (p = 0.001), respectively, with a unit increase in emotional eating score. Additional research should examine the specific roles of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and food waste in the development of obesity in adolescents.

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Do sociodemographic factors and anthropometric measurements affect eating behavior patterns?

Nutrition & Food Science ◽

10.1108/nfs-12-2020-0453 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Eda Koksal ◽

Melahat Sedanur Macit ◽

Saniye Bilici ◽

Efsun Karabudak

Keyword(s):

Eating Behavior ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Early Stage ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Anthropometric Measurements ◽

Content Type ◽

Cognitive Restraint ◽

Socio Demographic Factors ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Purpose Obesity is a chronic disease and it is very important to determine the underlying factors at the early stage. Disturbance in eating behaviors may predict the obesity risk. Design/methodology/approach In the present study, it was aimed to investigate eating behavior of Turkish adults by using The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18) and to analyze the association between anthropometric measurements and socio-demographic factors. Findings Individuals composed of 698 males, aged 28.6 ± 10.3 years and 1,736 females, aged 25.1 ± 7.8 years. Demographic characteristics participants were obtained via a questionnaire. TFEQ-R18for assessing eating behavior was used. Results claim that the usage of TFEQ-R18 was appropriate for non-obese individuals (Cronbach’s α value 0.83 for underweight group (n = 180, 7.4%), 0.76 for normal group (n = 1604, 65.9%), 0.69 for overweight group (n = 492, 20.2%), 0.69 obese group (n = 158, 6.5%). Gender seems to effect emotional eating scores (p = 0.026) and employment status seem to affect all TFEQ-R18 sub-group dimensions (cognitive eating scores, p = 0.022, uncontrolled eating scores, p < 0.001, emotional eating scores, p < 0.001). Divorced individuals tend to have higher cognitive restraint scores (16.2 ± 3.7). Although, single people have higher emotional eating scores (7.5 ± 2.6) (p = 0.006). There is a positive correlation among waist–height ratio, waist and neck circumference and cognitive restraint and uncontrolled eating scores (p < 0.001). However, body weight and height correlate negatively with cognitive restraint scores (p < 0.001). Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, this study gives brief results for the usage of TFEQ-R18 and the ability to predict eating behaviors in the general population.

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