The Relationship Between Eating Behaviors and Learned Helplessness among the People with Overweight and Affected by Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Obesity is an important public health issue that is increasingly concerning of the globe. People with overweight and affected by obesity cannot prevent their eating behaviors most of the time. People’s failure to prevent these behaviors despite using dietary, exercise and weight-loss programs. This failure also affects theirs psychological states. This situation, which affects their psychology, can cause them to experience learned helplessness. This cross-sectional study was conducted for the purpose of determining the effect of Eating attitude on learned helplessness of overweight and affected by obesity people.The study was completed with 158 overweight and affected by obesity individuals. Personal Descriptive Form, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, Rosenbaum Learned Strength Scale were used. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis were used. There was statistically significant relationship between the eating behavior and learned helplessness of the participants in an angry mood. There was no statistically significant relationship of eating behavior subscales between learned helplessness. In conclusion, the relationship between the appetite and anger mood influences the eating behavior of individuals, thus increasing the learned helplessness. To prevent the learned helplessness of individuals, cognitive and behavioral interventions could be recommended.