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

Jinan Banna,Carol Boushey,Eunjung Lim,Edward Delp,Chloe Panizza

doi:10.3390/nu10091279

Abstract

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.

Highlights

Rates of childhood obesity in the US are high
Additional research should examine the specific roles of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and food waste in the development of obesity in adolescents
Among adolescent girls in Hawai’i, there was a positive correlation between cognitive restraint and body mass index (BMI)

Summary

Introduction

Rates of childhood obesity in the US are high. The National Health and Nutrition ExaminationSurvey 2011–2014 reported 17.0% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were considered obese [1]. Rates of childhood obesity in the US are high. Survey 2011–2014 reported 17.0% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were considered obese [1]. In 2015, 13% of high school students in grades 9–12 in Hawaii were obese [2]. This represents an increase over the past few decades among students in Hawaii compared to 10% in 1999 [2]. Numerous factors at the individual, interpersonal, environmental and macrosystem levels contribute to obesity. In determining courses of action to reduce the rates of child obesity, understanding behavioral issues associated with obesity would provide important insight

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion