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

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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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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Regular Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activity and Walking Are Associated with Divergent but Not Convergent Thinking in Japanese Young Adults

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11081046 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1046

Author(s):

Chong Chen ◽

Yasuhiro Mochizuki ◽

Kosuke Hagiwara ◽

Masako Hirotsu ◽

Shin Nakagawa

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Creative Thinking ◽

Divergent Thinking ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Convergent Thinking ◽

Intervention Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vigorous Intensity

The beneficial effects of regular physical activity (PA) on cognitive functions have received much attention. Recent research suggests that regular PA may also enhance creative thinking, an indispensable cognitive factor for invention and innovation. However, at what intensity regular PA brings the most benefits to creative thinking remains uninvestigated. Furthermore, whether the levels of regular PA affect the acute PA effects on creative thinking is also unclear. In the present study, using a previous dataset that investigated the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on creative thinking in healthy Japanese young adults (22.98 ± 1.95 years old) in the year 2020, we tested the association between different intensities of regular PA (i.e., vigorous, moderate, and walking) and creative thinking with the cross-sectional baseline data using multiple linear regression. We also investigated whether regular PA levels were associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on creative thinking. The results showed that cross-sectionally, the regular PAs were differentially associated with divergent but not convergent thinking. Specifically, whereas the amount of vigorous-intensity PA was positively associated with fluency and flexibility, the amount of walking was positively associated with novelty on the alternate uses test (AUT) measuring divergent thinking. Importantly, the explained variances of fluency, flexibility, and novelty were 20.3% (p = 0.040), 18.8% (p = 0.055), and 20.1% (p = 0.043), respectively. None of the regular PAs predicted convergent thinking (i.e., an insight problem-solving task), nor were they associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on divergent and convergent thinking. These findings suggest that engaging in regular vigorous-intensity PA and walking may be useful strategies to enhance different aspects of divergent thinking in daily life.

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Eating behaviors and weight loss outcomes in a 12-month randomized trial of diet and/or exercise intervention in postmenopausal women

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-019-0887-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Caitlin Mason ◽

Jean de Dieu Tapsoba ◽

Catherine Duggan ◽

Ching-Yun Wang ◽

Catherine M. Alfano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Eating Behavior ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Dietary Intervention ◽

Restrained Eating ◽

Dietary Weight Loss ◽

Uncontrolled Eating

Abstract Background Certain eating behaviors are common among women with obesity. Whether these behaviors influence outcomes in weight loss programs, and whether such programs affect eating behaviors, is unclear. Methods Our aim was to examine the effect of baseline eating behaviors on intervention adherence and weight among postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, and to assess intervention effects on eating behaviors. Four hundred and 39 women (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) were randomized to 12 months of: i) dietary weight loss with a 10% weight loss goal (‘diet’; n = 118); ii) moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise for 225 mins/week (‘exercise’; n = 117); iii) combined dietary weight loss and exercise (‘diet + exercise’; n = 117); or iv) no-lifestyle change control (n = 87). At baseline and 12 months, restrained eating, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and binge eating were measured by questionnaire; weight and body composition were assessed. The mean change in eating behavior scores and weight between baseline and 12 months in the diet, exercise, and diet + exercise arms were each compared to controls using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) modification of linear regression adjusted for age, baseline BMI, and race/ethnicity. Results Baseline restrained eating was positively associated with change in total calories and calories from fat during the dietary intervention but not with other measures of adherence. Higher baseline restrained eating was associated with greater 12-month reductions in weight, waist circumference, body fat and lean mass. Women randomized to dietary intervention had significant reductions in binge eating (− 23.7%, p = 0.005 vs. control), uncontrolled eating (− 24.3%, p < 0.001 vs. control), and emotional eating (− 31.7%, p < 0.001 vs. control) scores, and a significant increase in restrained eating (+ 60.6%, p < 0.001 vs. control); women randomized to diet + exercise reported less uncontrolled eating (− 26.0%, p < 0.001 vs. control) and emotional eating (− 22.0%, p = 0.004 vs. control), and increased restrained eating (+ 41.4%, p < 0.001 vs. control). Women randomized to exercise alone had no significant change in eating behavior scores compared to controls. Conclusions A dietary weight loss intervention helped women modify eating behaviors. Future research should investigate optimal behavioral weight loss interventions for women with both disordered eating and obesity. Trial registration NCT00470119 (https://clinicaltrials.gov). Retrospectively registered May 7, 2007.

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The Effects of Aerobic Versus Cognitively Demanding Exercise Interventions on Executive Functioning in School-Aged Children: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.2020-0034 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Anna Meijer ◽

Marsh Königs ◽

Irene M.J. van der Fels ◽

Chris Visscher ◽

Roel J. Bosker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Control Group ◽

Exercise Interventions ◽

Randomized Controlled

The authors performed a clustered randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of an aerobic and a cognitively demanding exercise intervention on executive functions in primary-school-age children compared with the regular physical education program (N = 856). They hypothesized that both exercise interventions would facilitate executive functioning, with stronger effects for the cognitively demanding exercise group. The interventions were provided four times per week for 14 weeks. Linear mixed models were conducted on posttest neurocognitive function measures with baseline level as covariate. No differences were found between the exercise interventions and the control group for any of the measures. Independently of group, dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity was positively related to verbal working memory and attention abilities. This study showed that physical exercise interventions did not enhance executive functioning in children. Exposure to moderate to vigorous physical activity is a crucial aspect of the relationship between physical activity and executive functioning.

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Effects of a 2-year healthy eating and physical activity intervention for 3–6-year-olds in communities of high and low socio-economic status: the POP (Prevention of Overweight among Pre-school and school children) project

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980012000687 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 15 (9) ◽

pp. 1737-1745 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Valerie De Coen ◽

Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽

Carine Vereecken ◽

Vera Verbestel ◽

Leen Haerens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Physical Activity Intervention ◽

Economic Status ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Total Sample ◽

Low Ses ◽

Socio Economic Status ◽

Profile Control

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based, 2-year, multi-component intervention on BMI, eating and physical activity behaviour in Flanders, Belgium, targeting children aged 3–6 years in communities of high and low socio-economic status (SES).DesignCluster-randomized controlled trial.SettingThirty-one pre-primary and primary schools in three different intervention communities and three paired-matched (on SES profile) control communities in Flanders, Belgium.SubjectsBMI Z-scores at baseline and follow-up were calculated for 1102 children. Questionnaires with sociodemographic data and FFQ were available from 694 of these 1102 children.ResultsNo significant effects were found on BMI Z-scores for the total sample. However, there was a significant decrease in BMI Z-score of 0·11 in the low-SES intervention community compared with the low-SES control community, where the BMI Z-score increased by 0·04 (F = 6·26, P = 0·01). No significant intervention effects could be found for eating behaviour, physical activity or screen-time. There were no significant interaction effects of age and gender of the children on the outcome variables.ConclusionsAlthough no significant effects were found for BMI Z-scores in the total sample, this intervention had a promising effect in the low-SES community of reducing excess weight gain among young children.

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Prevalence of and risk factors for binge eating behaviour in 6930 adults starting a weight loss or maintenance programme

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980015001068 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 71-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Simona Bertoli ◽

Alessandro Leone ◽

Veronica Ponissi ◽

Giorgio Bedogni ◽

Valentina Beggio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Research Centre ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Obese Women ◽

Maintenance Programme

AbstractObjectiveConflicting data are available on the prevalence of binge eating behaviour (BE) in individuals seeking to lose or maintain weight. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and the risk factors for BE in a large sample of men and women starting a weight loss or maintenance programme.DesignCross-sectional study. BE was defined as a Binge Eating Scale (BES) score ≥18. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Italian Depression Questionnaire were used to assess anxiety and depression. Besides sex, age and BMI, marital status, educational level, smoking and physical activity were evaluated as potential risk factors for BE. Uni- and multivariable Poisson working regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and marginal probabilities.SettingNutritional research centre.SubjectsAdults (n 6930; 72 % women) with a median age of 46 years (range 18–81 years) were consecutively studied.ResultsBE prevalence in the pooled sample was 17 %. At multivariable analysis, being a woman (PR=2·70), smoking (PR=1·15) and increasing BMI (PR=1·05 for 1 kg/m2 increase) were risk factors for BE. On the contrary, being older (PR=0·99 for 1-year increase), performing physical activity (PR=0·89) and being married (PR=0·88) were protective factors for BE. Anxiety and depression were more common in subjects with BE.ConclusionsBE is common in individuals seeking to lose or maintain weight. The prevalence of BE is higher in young obese women. However, BE is present also in men, elders and normal-weight subjects.

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Time course of changes in inflammatory markers during a 6-mo exercise intervention in sedentary middle-aged men: a randomized-controlled trial

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00822.2009 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 108 (4) ◽

pp. 769-779 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Dylan Thompson ◽

Daniella Markovitch ◽

James A. Betts ◽

Dawn Mazzatti ◽

James Turner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Inflammation ◽

Time Course ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Moderate Intensity Exercise ◽

Genomic Changes ◽

Response Information ◽

Vigorous Intensity

Regular exercise may improve systemic markers of chronic inflammation, but direct evidence and dose-response information is lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the effect and time course of changes in markers of chronic inflammation in response to progressive exercise training (and subsequent detraining). Forty-one sedentary men 45–64 yr of age completed either a progressive 24-wk exercise intervention or control followed by short-term removal of the intervention (2-wk detraining). Serum IL-6 fell by −0.4 pg/ml (SD 0.6) after 12 wk and responded to moderate-intensity exercise. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity fell −7 U/l (SD 11) at 24 wk although there was no evidence of any change by week 12 (and therefore ALT required more vigorous-intensity activity and/or a more prolonged intervention). The effect on IL-6 was lost after 2-wk detraining whereas the change in ALT was retained. The temporal fall and rise in IL-6 with training and subsequent detraining in men with high IL-6 at baseline provided a retrospective opportunity to examine parallel genomic changes in peripheral mononuclear cells. A subset of 53 probes was differentially regulated by at least twofold after training with 31 of these changes being lost after detraining ( n = 6). IL-6 responded quickly to the carefully monitored exercise intervention (within weeks) and required only moderate-intensity exercise, whereas ALT took longer to change and/or required more vigorous-intensity exercise. Further work is required to determine whether any of the genes that temporally changed in parallel with changes in IL-6 are a cause or consequence of this response.

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The association between binge eating and health behaviors during times of high and low stress among first-year university students

10.31219/osf.io/kedfz ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Megan Lamb ◽

Andrea Howard

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

First Year ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Vigorous Exercise ◽

Academic Year

The current study examined binge eating behaviors among first-year undergraduate students over the academic year (September 2019, November 2019, January 2020, March 2020), and if between and within person effects of physical activity and sleep impact binge eating behaviours during times of higher-and lower-stress (n=394, Mage=18.6). Participants completed online surveys of moderate and vigorous exercise, hours and quality of sleep, and binge eating behaviours four times over the academic year. Results of multilevel models revealed relatively stable binge eating scores across the academic year. We did not find evidence of robust associations between exercise and sleep and binge eating behaviors during times of high and low stress over the academic year. Large increases in vigorous physical activity may be effective in reducing binge eating behaviors among women. These findings suggest that the effect of exercise on binge eating behaviours may be smaller than previous research suggests and that targeted exercise intervention is needed to see meaningful changes in binge eating behaviors.

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Increased emotional eating during COVID-19 associated with lockdown, psychological and social distress

10.31219/osf.io/z28sd ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cinzia Cecchetto ◽

Marilena Aiello ◽

Silvio Ionta ◽

Claudio Gentili ◽

Sofia Adelaide Osimo

Keyword(s):

Binge Eating ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Online Survey ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Phase 2 ◽

Emotional Wellbeing ◽

Negative Effects ◽

The Impact

Due to the spread of COVID 2019, the Italian government imposed a lockdown on the national territory. Initially, citizens were required to stay at home and not to mix with others outside of their household (Phase 1); eventually, some of these restrictions were lifted (Phase 2). To investigate the impact of lockdown on emotional and binge eating, an online survey was conducted to compare measures of self-reported physical (BMI), psychological (Alexithymia), affective (anxiety, stress, and depression) and social (income, workload) state during Phase 1 and Phase 2. Data from 365 Italian residents showed that increased emotional eating was predicted by higher depression, anxiety, quality of personal relationships, and quality of life, while the increase of bingeing was predicted by higher stress. Moreover, we showed that higher alexithymia scores were associated by increased emotional eating and higher BMI scores were associated with both increased emotional eating and binge eating. Finally, we found that from Phase 1 to Phase 2 binge and emotional eating decreased. These data provide evidence of the negative effects of isolation and lockdown on emotional wellbeing, and, relatedly, on eating behaviour.

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Breastfeeding and maternal eating behaviours are associated with child eating behaviours: findings from the ROLO Kids Study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1038/s41430-020-00764-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cara A. Yelverton ◽

Aisling A. Geraghty ◽

Eileen C. O’Brien ◽

Sarah Louise Killeen ◽

Mary K. Horan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Eating ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Breastfeeding Duration ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

Mother And Child ◽

Child Eating ◽

Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Child eating behaviours can negatively contribute to the development of childhood obesity. This study investigated associations between breastfeeding habits, maternal eating behaviours and child eating behaviours, in 5-year-old children. Methods Secundigravida women were recruited to the ROLO dietary randomised controlled trial (Dublin, Ireland) and were followed up with their children to 5 years of age. Breastfeeding exposure and duration were obtained at postnatal and infant follow-up at 2 and 6 months and 2 and 5 years. At 5 years, maternal and child eating behaviours were measured using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, respectively. Regression determined associations between breastfeeding habits and maternal eating behaviours with child eating behaviours, controlling for RCT group, maternal education level, maternal BMI at 5 years, childcare exposure and child BMI centile at 5-year follow-up. Results There were 230 mother and child pairs analysed. One hundred and fifty-eight mothers had initiated breastfeeding. Median breastfeeding duration was 22 (IQR 33) weeks. Children who were never breastfed were more likely to express a desire to drink (B = −1.01, p = 0.022). Longer breastfeeding duration was associated with lower food responsiveness (B = −1.71, p = 0.003). Maternal uncontrolled eating was positively associated with child food responsiveness, emotional overeating and emotional undereating (B = 0.21, p < 0.001; B = 0.14, p = 0.005; B = 0.14, p = 0.005, respectively). Maternal emotional eating was associated with child emotional overeating and undereating (B = 0.27, p < 0.001, B = 0.29, p = 0.004, respectively). Conclusion Not breastfeeding and short breastfeeding duration may contribute to the development of obesogenic eating behaviours in children, alongside maternal eating behaviours including uncontrolled and emotional eating. These ‘food approach’ eating behaviours may increase risk of overweight/obesity as they are associated with increased energy intake, hence the importance of research surrounding eating behaviours.

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