The impact of food-related behaviours and emotional functioning on body mass index in an adult sample

Kamila Czepczor-Bernat,Anna Brytek-Matera

doi:10.1007/s40519-020-00853-3

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of food-related behaviours (emotional eating, snacking) and emotional functioning (negative emotions, stress, emotional dysregulation) on body mass index in an adult sample. Direct and indirect relationships of the above-mentioned variables were examined.MethodsThe total sample comprised 298 adults. All participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Feeling of Stress Questionnaire and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire.ResultsOur findings showed that food-related behaviours and emotional functioning are related to body mass index in adults. In addition, emotional dysregulation and negative emotions did not have direct impact on snacking. Moreover, snacking did not have a direct impact on body mass index. However, snacking had an indirect effect on body mass index (through emotional eating). The other relationships were significant and consistent with the hypothesised positive direction.ConclusionWe found significant relationships among (almost all) food-related behaviours, emotional functioning and body mass index in adults. However, future research on pathways from negative emotions/emotional dysregulation to snacking and from snacking to BMI should be conducted.Level of evidenceLevel V, descriptive study.

Highlights

IntroductionMaladaptive food-related behaviours (e.g., emotional eating, overeating, snacking, restrictive eating) are identified among people with normal weight and with excessive body weight (overweight/obesity) [1,2,3]
Maladaptive food-related behaviours are identified among people with normal weight and with excessive body weight [1,2,3]
The analysis shows that emotional dysregulation and negative emotions do not directly impact snacking

Summary

Introduction

Maladaptive food-related behaviours (e.g., emotional eating, overeating, snacking, restrictive eating) are identified among people with normal weight and with excessive body weight (overweight/obesity) [1,2,3]. A lot of current research refers to the relationship between emotional state and eating behaviours [e.g., 4–7] At this point, it should be added that in both groups (normal weight and excessive body weight), food can be used as a regulator of emotional state [2]. People who use emotional eating to regulate emotions and stress are defined as ‘emotional eaters’ [9, 10] This concept is associated with classical psychosomatic theory [9] in which emotional eaters cannot differentiate emotional hunger from the physiological signals of stress and negative emotions [9, 11]. In the present study, we focused on the impact of food-related behaviours and emotional functioning on body mass index in an adult

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