Abstract
The present study aimed to extend the application of the reflective-impulsive model to restrained eating and explore the effect of automatic attention (impulsive system) on food choices. Furthermore, we examined the moderating effects of general inhibitory control (G-IC) and food-specific inhibitory control (F-IC) on successful and unsuccessful restrained eaters (US-REs). Automatic attention was measured using “the EyeLink 1000,” which tracked eye movements during the process of making food choices, and G-IC and F-IC were measured using the Stop-Signal Task. The results showed that food choices were related to automatic attention and that G-IC and F-IC moderated the predictive relationship between automatic attention and food choices. Furthermore, among successful restrained eaters (S-REs), automatic attention to high caloric foods did not predict food choices, regardless of whether G-IC or F-IC was high or low. Whereas food choice was positively correlated with automatic attention among US-REs with poor F-IC, this pattern was not observed in those with poor G-IC. In conclusion, the S-REs had more effective self-management skills and their food choices were affected less by automatic attention and inhibitory control. Unsuccessful restrained eating was associated with poor F-IC (not G-IC) and greater automatic attention to high caloric foods. Thus, clinical interventions should focus on enhancing F-IC, not G-IC, and on reducing automatic attention to high caloric foods.
Highlights
People in developed countries have a myriad of opportunities to eat
The current study explored the effects of automatic attention on food choices, and examined the moderating effects of general inhibitory control (G-IC) and food-specific inhibitory control (F-IC) among S-restrained eaters (REs) and USREs
Except for participants’ scores on the Restrained Eating subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) [t(62) = −2.47, p = 0.02] and the Perceived SelfRegulatory Success in Dieting Scale (PSRS) [t(62) = −9.69, p < 0.001], no significant differences were found on the main variables between the successful restrained eaters (S-REs) and unsuccessful restrained eaters (US-REs)
Summary
People in developed countries have a myriad of opportunities to eat. Especially highly palatable food, is readily available in almost every setting during the day (Thornton et al, 2013). The modern obesogenic environment has resulted in an increasing number of people who attempt to control their weight. People who adhere to an intentional, sustained restriction of caloric intake to lose or maintain body weight are referred to as REs (Herman and Mack, 1975). Some REs are often unsuccessful in controlling their weight, continuing to choose and eat HC foods (Mann et al, 2007). Many explanations have been proposed for problems regulating eating
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