Rumination, mood, and maladaptive eating behaviors in overweight and healthy populations

Monika Kornacka,Piotr Napieralski,Anna Brytek-Matera,Kamila Czepczor-Bernat

doi:10.1007/s40519-020-00857-z

Abstract

PurposeThe literature suggests that rumination (i.e., repetitive thinking about 1 or more negative concerns that is perceived as difficult to control) is linked to impaired emotional regulation and increases negative affect. Not only individuals suffering from overweight or obesity, but also healthy individuals might use emotional eating as a coping strategy to deal with negative affect caused by rumination. The aim of the present study was to determine the link between rumination and maladaptive eating strategies in participants with normal weight and overweight/obesity using trait and ecological momentary measures.MethodIn Study 1, 88 individuals from overweight/obese (N = 33) and control group (N = 50) filled in a series of questionnaires assessing trait rumination, and eating behaviors. In Study 2 momentary affect, rumination and eating behavior of 26 participants were assessed using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology.ResultsIn Study 1, the moderated mediation model revealed that emotional eating mediates the link between rumination and uncontrolled eating or snacking, but only in healthy participants and not in the participants with overweight. The results of Study 2 suggest that when both momentary rumination and sad mood are entered into the model predicting momentary daily emotional eating, only rumination remains a significant predictor of emotional eating. This relationship is not modified by the fact that the participants are from healthy controls or the overweight/obese group.DiscussionStudy 1 provided evidence on the differential role of emotional eating in participants with normal weight and with overweight. Study 2 provided initial insights into the role of momentary mood and momentary repetitive thinking in the use of emotional eating in participants’ everyday lives. The differences in group effect in trait and EMA measures indicated also the importance of considering the consciousness of using rumination and emotional eating, while studying those processes in individuals with overweight.Level of evidenceLevel III, case-control analytic study.

Highlights

IntroductionResearch and clinical observations on eating behavior suggest that dietary abnormalities are common in individuals with excessive body weight [2,3,4,5]
The category of abnormal eating behavior is relatively extensive [1]
In the normal weight group, the PTQ general score was correlated with uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and cognitive restraint, this correlation was not significant in the overweight group

Summary

Introduction

Research and clinical observations on eating behavior suggest that dietary abnormalities are common in individuals with excessive body weight [2,3,4,5]. In this group, food might be considered as a strategy of coping with stress and negative emotions [6]. The aim of the present study was to determine how cognitive processes, i.e., rumination, might affect abnormal eating behaviors in the context of emotional regulation in participants with overweight/. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity obesity and in healthy participants. The objective was to explore this relationship at the trait level (Study 1), and to provide preliminary results on the link between those variables in participants’ everyday lives using ecological momentary assessment (EMA, Study 2)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion