Eating Rate Research Articles

Consistent effect of eating rate on food and energy intake across twenty-four ad libitum meals.

Foods consumed at lower eating rates (ER) lead to reductions in energy intake. Previous research has shown that texture-based differences in eating rateER can reduce meal size. The effect size and consistency of these effects across a wide range of composite and complex meals differing considerably in texture and varying in meal occasion have not been reported. We determined how consistently texture-based differences in ER can influence food and energy intake across a wide variety of meals. In a crossover design, healthy participants consumed twelve breakfast and twelve lunch meals that differed in texture to produce a fast or slow ER. A breakfast group (n = 15) and lunch group (n = 15) completed twelve ad libitum meal sessions each (six 'fast' and six 'slow' meals), where intake was measured and behavioural video annotation was used to characterise eating behaviour. Liking did not differ significantly between fast and slow breakfasts (P = 0·44) or lunches (P = 0·76). The slow meals were consumed on average 39 % ± 9 % (breakfast) and 45 % ± 7 % (lunch) slower than the fast meals (both P < 0·001). Participants consumed on average 22 % ± 5 % less food (84 g) and 13 % ± 6 % less energy (71 kcal) from slow compared with fast meals (mean ± SE; P < 0·001). Consuming meals with a slower ER led to a reduction in food intake, where an average decrease of 20 % in ER produced an 11 % ± 1 % decrease in food intake (mean ± SE). These findings add to the growing body of evidence showing that ER can be manipulated using food texture and that this has aits consistent effect on food and energy intake across a wide variety of Hedonically equivalent meals.

Influence of age and self-stigmatization on social eating and drinking issues in French outpatients living with and beyond head and neck cancer: a mixed-method study.

Social eating (SE) is a corner stone of daily living activities, quality of life (QoL), and aging well. In addition to feeding functional disorders, patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) face individual and social psychological distress. In this aging population, we intended to better assess the influence of age on these challenges, and the role of self-stigmatization limiting SE in patients with and beyond HNC. This was an exploratory multicenter cross-sectional mixed method study. Eligibility criteria were adults diagnosed with various non-metastatic HNC, before, during, or until 5years after treatment. SE disorders were explored with the Performance Status ScalePublic Eating rate(PSS-HN PE). In the quantitative part of the study, SE habits, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Body Image Scale (FACT-MBIS) and specific to HNC (FACT-HN35) were also filled in by the patients. In the qualitative study, the semi-structured interview guide was drawn out to explore stigma, especially different dimensions of self-stigmatization. A total of 112 patients were included, mean age 64.7years, 23.2% of female. One-third (n = 35) of patients had an abnormal PSS-HN PE rate < 100. Younger patients had more often an impaired Normalcy of Diet mean (70.4 vs 82.7, p = .0498) and PE rates (76 vs 86.9, p = .0622), but there was no difference between age subgroups in MBIS nor FACT-HN scores. Seventy patients (72.2%) found SE and drinking « important» to « extremely important» in their daily life. The qualitative study reported self-stigmatization in two older patients and strategies they have developed to cope with in their behaviors of SE. This study confirms that SE remains of high concern in patients with and beyond HNC. Even in older patients experiencing less often functional feeding disorders, body image changes and SE issues are as impaired as in younger patients and need to be addressed.

The ‘Carrot Test’: An approach to characterize individual differences in oral processing behaviour and eating rate

BackgroundEating rate is a modifiable risk factor for obesity and efficient methods to objectively characterise an individual’s oral processing behaviours could help better identify people at risk of increased energy consumption. Many previous approaches to characterise oral processing and eating rate have relied on specialised equipment or wearable devices that are time consuming, expensive or require expertise to administer. The current trial used video-coding of the consumption of a standardised test food (the ‘carrot test’) to measure oral processing. ObjectiveWe sought (i) to test whether self-reported eating rate (SRER) is predictive of food oral processing derived from coded eating behaviours captured in the laboratory with a standardised test food, and (ii) to test whether differences in SRER are predictive of oral processing behaviours, eating rate and intake of a test meal. MethodsTwo hundred and fifty-three volunteers (86 male and 167 female, mean age 39.5 ± 13.6 years, mean BMI 22.2 ± 3.4 kg/m2) provided their SRER and anthropometric measurements of height, weight and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) percentage fat mass. Participants were also video recorded eating a fixed 50 g portion of carrot and an ad libitum lunch meal of fried rice. Average eating rate (g/min), bite size (g) and number of chews per bite for the carrot and lunch were derived through behavioural coding of the videos. Energy intake (kcal) was recorded at lunch and a later afternoon snack. ResultsFaster SRER significantly predicted faster eating rate, larger bite size and more chews per bite observed during intake of the carrot (ß = −0.26–0.21, p ≤ 0.001) and the lunch (ß = −0.26–0.35, p ≤ 0.014). SRER did not significantly predict intake at lunch or during the afternoon snack (ß = 0.05–0.07, p ≥ 0.265). Participants’ oral processing of the carrot significantly predicted oral processing of the lunch (ß = −0.25–0.40, p ≤ 0.047) and faster eating rate of the carrot significantly predicted increased lunch intake (ß = 0.119, p = 0.045). None of the oral processing behaviours predicted afternoon snack intake (ß = −0.01–0.05, p ≥ 0.496). None of these associations were moderated by BMI or body composition. ConclusionWe confirm that SRER is a valid measure of group level differences in individual oral processing behaviours, but did not predict an individual’s energy intake at a lunch-time meal. With this approach, it is possible to characterise differences in eating rate by coding eating behaviours for a standardized test food (in this case, a fixed portion of raw carrot). This approach could be used to provide an objective measure of a person’s habitual oral processing behaviour, and was shown to be a significant predictor of eating rate and energy intake for a later test meal.

Emotional Eating Prevalence and Correlates in Adolescents in the United States.

Background: Adolescent obesity rates continue to rise. A better understanding of who engages in emotional eating, a maladaptive eating style, is needed. Despite emotional eating being a frequent research target, the prevalence of emotional eating in US adolescents is currently unknown. Methods: Nationally representative adolescents (n = 1622, m = 14.48 years, 63.8% non-Hispanic White, 50.6% female) reported eating behaviors in the National Cancer Institute's Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study. Frequencies and one-way ANOVAs were conducted to examine the rates of emotional eating across demographic and weight status groups. Correlations between emotional eating and dietary intake were examined. Results: In total, 30% of adolescents engaged in emotional eating. Older adolescents (35% of 17-year-olds), females (39%), non-Hispanic White individuals (32%), and adolescents with obesity (44%) had significantly higher rates of emotional eating. Controlling for weight status, greater adolescent emotional eating was correlated with more frequent intake of energy-dense/nutrient-poor foods (β = 0.10, p < 0.001), junk food (β = 0.12, p < 0.001), and convenience foods (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study fills a critical gap by providing insight into how common adolescent emotional eating is and highlighting demographic factors that are associated with higher rates. Nearly a third of adolescents in the United States reported eating due to anxiety or sadness, with rates higher in older adolescents, girls, non-Hispanic White adolescents, and adolescents with obesity. Emotional eating was associated with consuming less healthy foods, which conveys immediate and long-term health risks. Practitioners can intervene with emotional eating to reduce obesity and comorbid health risks.

Schizophrenia and eating disorders: Epidemiological and clinical characteristics

IntroductionSchizophrenia is a common mental illness with a wide range of symptoms.Given the high metabolic comorbidity observed in schizophrenia and the metabolic side-effects induced by the antipsychotics used in practice, the detection of eating disorders is crucial.These disorders may occur at the same time as psychotic symptoms or independently of them.Objectiveswe aim to provide an overview of eating disorders in schizophrenia.Methods We conducted a systematic search using the 2 bibliographic databases PubMed and Google scholar including the following keywords: “Schizophrenia”, “Eating disorders”, “Reward mechanisms”.Results Eating disorders are a frequent comorbidity in schizophrenia.Authors have reported that some patients with schizophrenia have an increased appetite and craving for fatty foods, increased caloric intake and frequency of consumption, which may be associated with increased disinhibition.According to the literature, binge eating and night eating are frequently observed in patients with schizophrenia, with a prevalence of around 10%.Studies have shown that people suffering from psychosis and treated with antipsychotics have high rates of binge eating, ranging from 4.4% to 16% for binge eating and from 8.9% to 45% for binge eating symptoms (without reaching the diagnostic threshold for binge eating).Rates ranging from 16.1% to 64% for cravings were reported.Anorexia nervosa appears to affect between 1% and 4% of schizophrenic patients.Conclusions Despite their frequent association with schizophrenia, eating disorders remain little studied. However, it is important to detect these disorders and elucidate the underlying psychopathological and neurobiological mechanisms in order to better manage metabolic comorbidity and improve patients’ quality of life.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Unit size influences ad libitum intake in a snacking context via eating rate

Geometric and textural properties of food, like unit size, have previously been shown to influence energy intake. While mechanism(s) driving this effect are unclear, unit size may relate to intake by affecting eating microstructure (e.g., eating rate, bite size). In a randomized crossover study, we investigated relationships between unit size, eating microstructure, and intake. Adults (n = 75, 75% women) consumed an ad libitum snack three times in our laboratory. This snack was a 70-g portion (∼2.5 servings) of one of three sizes of pretzel (small, medium, large). Intake was measured in grams by difference in weight before and after the snack. Each session was video recorded to measure eating microstructure; snack duration (min) and number of bites were annotated and used to calculate mean eating rate (g/min) and mean bite size (g/bite). Results revealed unit size influenced intake (grams and kcal; both p's ≤ 0.001), such that participants consumed 31% and 22% more of the large pretzels (16.9 ± 2.3 g) compared to the small (12.9 ± 2.3 g) and medium sizes (13.8 ± 2.3 g), respectively. Unit size also influenced eating rate and bite size (both p's < 0.001); the largest pretzel size yielded the fastest eating rate and largest mean bite size. Further analysis revealed that after accounting for eating microstructure, the effects of unit size on intake were no longer significant, suggesting eating microstructure was driving these effects. Together, these findings indicate that unit size influences intake by affecting eating microstructure and that food properties like unit size can be leveraged to moderate snack intake.

Sexual orientation moderates the relationship between internalized weight bias and binge eating symptoms among adults pursuing bariatric surgery

BackgroundSexual minorities have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and binge eating compared to heterosexual peers. Internalized weight bias (IWB) is also higher for sexual minorities when compared to heterosexual peers. However, research has not examined whether the relationships between IWB and anxiety, depression, and binge eating differ among heterosexual and sexual minority adults pursuing bariatric surgery. ObjectivesTo examine whether sexual orientation (heterosexual or sexual minority) moderated the relationships between IWB and anxiety, depression, and binge eating among adults pursuing bariatric surgery. SettingUniversity hospital, United States MethodsParticipants included 811 adults who presented for bariatric surgery, 45 (5.5%) of which identified as a sexual minority. Self-reported data were collected as part of a standard preoperative psychological evaluation for surgical clearance. Three separate moderation models were run to test hypotheses. ResultsSexual orientation did not moderate the association of IWB with anxiety or depression. The IWB by sexual orientation interaction was significant for binge eating (F 1856) = 4.84, P = .03, R2 = .27 such that the association between IWB and binge eating was significantly stronger for sexual minority patients (b = .54, 95% confidence interval {CI} [.36, .70]), compared to heterosexual patients (b = .33, 95% CI [.30, .38]). ConclusionsMinority stress from identifying as a sexual minority may increase vulnerability to binge eating from IWB among bariatric candidates. Future research examining the directionality of the relationship between IWB and binge eating among sexual minorities is warranted.

Ration particle size has different effects on digestive but not production parameters in higher-yielding (Holstein) compared to lower-yielding (Girolando) cows.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of total mixed ration particle size (length) and breed of cow on intake dynamics, animal performance and CH4 emissions, comparing high yielding Holstein and low yielding Girolando cows. The experimental design was 2 × 2 Latin Square arranged as a crossover factorial scheme with two diets (short particle size, SPS and long particle size, LPS) and the two breed compositions. The design comprised two periods of 26 d each, where all data collection was performed at cow level. No influence of the particle size occurred for the passage rate, neutral detergent fiber digestibility, performance and milk composition, methane emissions or ruminal fermentation parameters. Girolando cows had greater dry matter intake (DMI) when fed SPS, while Holsteins had the same (P < 0.05). Girolando cows had lower dry matter digestibility when fed LPS compared to SPS, while Holsteins had the opposite effect (P < 0.05). Also, the digestibility of crude protein and non-fibrous carbohydrates decreased in Girolando cows fed LPS, but not in Holsteins (P < 0.05). Girolando cows reduced DMI by 10.6% when fed LPS diet (P < 0.05). Girolando had an increased eating rate (+24 g of DM/min; P < 0.05) compared to Holstein cows, but Holstein cows had a lower CH4 intensity (by 29.7%: P < 0.05). Girolando cows increased the dry matter intake when fed a diet with short particle size, while the same did not happen in Holsteins. Dry matter digestibility increased in Holsteins when fed long particle size, while the opposite was observed in Girolando cows. Nutrient digestibility was reduced in Girolando cows when fed short particle size. Particle size did not influence eating time, eating rate, feed trough visits, visits with intake, milk yield and composition regardless of the breed. Reducing particle size increased CH4 intensity in both breeds.

The Interrelationship of Eating Behaviors in Overweight and Obese Adults

Objective: Nutrition is a complex behavior influenced by both homeostatic and non-homeostatic processes. Emotional and environmental triggers can affect non-homeostatic processes, leading to hedonistic, emotional, and night eating. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hedonistic eating, emotional eating, and night eating syndrome in overweight and obese adults. Materials and Methods: A total of 562 overweight and obese adults participated in the study. The data were collected using a general information and anthropometric measurements form, the Hedonistic Eating Scale (HES), the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ), and the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ). Results: Results showed that 8.2% of participants had emotional eating syndrome, and 25.6% had night eating syndrome. Obese participants were found to have higher rates of emotional eating and night eating syndrome than overweight participants. There were positive correlations between EEQ with HES (r=0.468, p

Spread it on thick? Relative effects of condiment addition and slice thickness on eating rate of bread.

Manipulating eating rate (ER) by food properties may enhance or reduce food intake. Within composite foods, such as bread with condiments, the shape of carrier food and the use of condiments are known to influence ER. However, not much is known about their quantitative impacts and interactions. This study investigates the effect of bread slice thickness and addition of condiment on oral processing (ER, chews per g, bite size). In a full factorial design, 30 participants (BMI 21.6 ± 2.0 kg m-2, 23.3 ± 2.1 year) consumed two types of bread (wholewheat (WB); and sourdough (SB)), in three different slice thicknesses (1, 2, 4 cm), with three conditions of margarine addition (0, 2, 4 g per slice of 28 cm2). The results showed that addition of margarine in both breads led to ∼50% higher ER in a non-linear fashion mainly via less chews per g (all P < 0.001). Increasing bread slice thickness in both breads, resulted in ∼15% higher ER, mainly via larger bite sizes (all P < 0.001). The addition of margarine reduced or overruled the effect of slice thickness on all oral processing characteristics (interaction margarine × slice thickness, all P < 0.01). Perceived sensory dryness showed a strong negative correlation with ER. In conclusion, this study highlighted the importance of bread slice thickness, amount of a condiment, and their interactions in controlling ER. Lubrication of the dry crumbs was a main mechanism in controlling ER in this study. These insights can help the design of products with lower ER.

Poorer inhibitory control was related to greater food intake across meals varying in portion size: A randomized crossover trial

Individuals eat more food when larger portions are served, and this portion size effect could be influenced by inhibitory control (the ability to suppress an automatic response). Inhibitory control may also relate to obesogenic meal behaviors such as eating faster, taking larger bites, and frequent switching between meal components (such as bites of food and sips of water). In a randomized crossover design, 44 adults ate lunch four times in the laboratory. Lunch consisted of a pasta dish that was varied in portion size (400, 500, 600, or 700 g) along with 700 g of water. Meals were video-recorded to assess meal duration and bite and sip counts, which were used to determine mean eating rate (g/min), mean bite size (g/bite), and number of switches between bites and sips. Participants completed a food-specific stop-signal task, which was used to calculate Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT). Across participants, SSRT values ranged from 143 to 306 msec, where greater SSRT indicates poorer inhibitory control. As expected, serving larger portions increased meal intake (p < 0.0001); compared to the smallest portion, intake of the largest increased by 121 ± 17 g (mean ± SEM). SSRT did not moderate the portion size effect (p = 0.34), but individuals with poorer inhibitory control ate more across all meals: 24 ± 11 g for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.035). SSRT was not related to eating rate or bite size (both p > 0.13), but poorer inhibitory control predicted greater switching between bites and sips, such that 1.5 ± 0.7 more switches were made during meals for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.03). These findings indicate that inhibitory control can contribute to overconsumption across meals varying in portion size, potentially in part by promoting switching behavior.

Factors associated with eating rate: a systematic review and narrative synthesis informed by socio-ecological model.

Accumulating evidence shows associations between rapid eating and overweight. Modifying eating rate might be a potential weight management strategy without imposing additional dietary restrictions. A comprehensive understanding of factors associated with eating speed will help with designing effective interventions. The aim of this review was to synthesise the current state of knowledge on the factors associated with eating rate. The socio-ecological model (SEM) was utilised to scaffold the identified factors. A comprehensive literature search of eleven databases was conducted to identify factors associated with eating rate. The 104 studies that met the inclusion criteria were heterogeneous in design and methods of eating rate measurement. We identified thirty-nine factors that were independently linked to eating speed and mapped them onto the individual, social and environmental levels of the SEM. The majority of the reported factors pertained to the individual characteristics (n = 20) including demographics, cognitive/psychological factors and habitual food oral processing behaviours. Social factors (n = 11) included eating companions, social and cultural norms, and family structure. Environmental factors (n = 8) included food texture and presentation, methods of consumption or background sounds. Measures of body weight, food form and characteristics, food oral processing behaviours and gender, age and ethnicity were the most researched and consistent factors associated with eating rate. A number of other novel and underresearched factors emerged, but these require replication and further research. We highlight directions for further research in this space and potential evidence-based candidates for interventions targeting eating rate.

No evidence of compensatory changes in energy balance, despite reductions in body weight and liver fat, during dapagliflozin treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial (ENERGIZE).

This study assessed the impact of dapagliflozin on food intake, eating behaviour, energy expenditure, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-determined brain response to food cues and body composition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Patients were given dapagliflozin 10 mg once daily in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with short-term (1 week) and long-term (12 weeks) cross-over periods. The primary outcome was the difference in test meal food intake between long-term dapagliflozin and placebo treatment. Secondary outcomes included short-term differences in test meal food intake, short- and long-term differences in appetite and eating rate, energy expenditure and functional MRI brain activity in relation to food images. We determined differences in glycated haemoglobin, weight, liver fat (by 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and subcutaneous/visceral adipose tissue volumes (by MRI). In total, 52 patients (43% were women) were randomized; with the analysis of 49 patients: median age 58 years, weight 99.1 kg, body mass index 35 kg/m2 , glycated haemoglobin 49 mmol/mol. Dapagliflozin reduced glycated haemoglobin by 9.7 mmol/mol [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.91-16.27, p = .004], and body weight (-2.84 vs. -0.87 kg) versus placebo. There was no short- or long-term difference in test meal food intake between dapagliflozin and placebo [mean difference 5.7 g (95% CI -127.9 to 139.3, p = .933); 15.8 g (95% CI -147.7 to 116.1, p = .813), respectively] nor in the rate of eating, energy expenditure, appetite, or brain responses to food cues. Liver fat (median reduction -4.7 vs. 1.95%), but not subcutaneous/visceral adipose tissue, decreased significantly with 12 weeks of dapagliflozin. The reduction in body weight and liver fat with dapagliflozin was not associated with compensatory adaptations in food intake or energy expenditure.

Eating Behavior and Satiety With Virtual Reality Meals Compared With Real Meals: Randomized Crossover Study.

Eating disorders and obesity are serious health problems with poor treatment outcomes and high relapse rates despite well-established treatments. Several studies have suggested that virtual reality technology could enhance the current treatment outcomes and could be used as an adjunctive tool in their treatment. This study aims to investigate the differences between eating virtual and real-life meals and test the hypothesis that eating a virtual meal can reduce hunger among healthy women. The study included 20 healthy women and used a randomized crossover design. The participants were asked to eat 1 introduction meal, 2 real meals, and 2 virtual meals, all containing real or virtual meatballs and potatoes. The real meals were eaten on a plate that had been placed on a scale that communicated with analytical software on a computer. The virtual meals were eaten in a room where participants were seated on a real chair in front of a real table and fitted with the virtual reality equipment. The eating behavior for both the real and virtual meals was filmed. Hunger was measured before and after the meals using questionnaires. There was a significant difference in hunger from baseline to after the real meal (mean difference=61.8, P<.001) but no significant change in hunger from before to after the virtual meal (mean difference=6.9, P=.10). There was no significant difference in food intake between the virtual and real meals (mean difference=36.8, P=.07). Meal duration was significantly shorter in the virtual meal (mean difference=-5.4, P<.001), which led to a higher eating rate (mean difference=82.9, P<.001). Some participants took bites and chewed during the virtual meal, but the number of bites and chews was lower than in the real meal. The meal duration was reduced from the first virtual meal to the second virtual meal, but no significant difference was observed between the 2 real meals. Eating a virtual meal does not appear to significantly reduce hunger in healthy individuals. Also, this methodology does not significantly result in eating behaviors identical to real-life conditions but does evoke chewing and bite behavior in certain individuals. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05734209, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05734209.

Al dente or well done? How the eating rate of a pasta dish can be predicted by the eating rate of its components

Eating rate (ER) is now recognised as an important driver of food and energy intake, and is strongly influenced by a food’s texture. However, little is known about how the textures of multiple food components combined affect the ER of a composite dish. In a full cross-over study, 54 healthy participants (age: 25 ± 7 years, BMI: 22 ± 3 kg/m2) consumed 12 different pasta dishes. The dishes comprised single penne or carrot (hard and soft; 4 samples), single penne or carrot (hard and soft) with tomato sauce (4 samples), and combined penne (hard and soft) with carrots (hard and soft) and tomato sauce (4 samples). Behavioural coding analysis was used to quantify participant ER and oral processing behaviours for each dish. Soft penne was consumed 42% faster than hard penne (P < 0.001) and soft carrots were consumed 94% faster than hard carrots(P < 0.001) when presented as single foods without sauce. The addition of sauce increased ER for both penne and carrots by approximately 30% (both P < 0.001). For the composite dishes, the ER of the dish with soft carrot, soft penne and sauce was consumed 45% faster than the same dish with hard components (P < 0.001). The ER of the composite dishes could be predicted from the ER of its single components. The ER of individual components cumulatively determined the ER of the composite dish, rather than ER being driven only by the slowest dish component. These insights provide guidance on how to compose texture modified meals that moderate both ER and energy intake.

Body image explains differences in intuitive eating between men and women: Examining indirect effects across negative and positive body image

Intuitive eating is an adaptive and flexible form of eating. Men report higher rates of intuitive eating than women. Objectification processes are proposed to underlie this (binary) gender difference due to the intense body-related pressures that disrupt body image in women. The current study is the first known to test whether body image indirectly explains lower levels of intuitive eating in women relative to men. A cross-sectional sample of 498 adults aged 18–74 years recruited through Prolific completed an online survey assessing intuitive eating and negative and positive body image indicators. Women reported poorer body image and lower levels of intuitive eating compared to men. Significant indirect effects suggested body image explained gender differences in intuitive eating, controlling for age and body mass index. In women relative to men, greater body surveillance and lower aesthetic satisfaction explained lower total intuitive eating and reliance on hunger and satiety, greater aesthetic investment explained lower total intuitive eating and eating for physical reasons, and lower functionality investment explained lower body-food choice congruence. More research is needed, but findings suggest programs may benefit from decreasing critical views of appearance and strengthening functionality investment in women to reduce gender differences in intuitive eating.

Eating pace instruction is effective in slowing eating rate in women with overweight and obesity

Slow eating is associated with lower body mass index (BMI), enhanced satiety, and reduced food intake in laboratory settings. This study developed and tested a 5-week slow-eating intervention, delivered either through individual or small group weekly meetings, in women with overweight and obesity. Women (n = 65; 20.5 ± 3.6 years; BMI 31.3 ± 2.7 kg/m2) were assigned to experimental or parallel non-treatment control. Main outcomes, measured pre- and post-intervention, included eating rate, meal duration, and energy intake during a standardized meal served on a universal eating monitor. Exploratory outcomes included Weight Related Eating Questionnaire (WREQ), Intuitive Eating Scale (IES), and Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) scores. All women in the experimental group underwent the same slow-eating intervention, but half had individual sessions while the other half had small group sessions. No differences were seen for any outcomes between session modalities, so experimental data were pooled (n = 25) and compared to control data (n = 25). Time-by-group interactions showed reduced eating rate (F(1,48df) = 13.04, η2 = 0.214, p = .001) and increased meal duration (F(1,48df) = 7.949, η2 = 0.142, p = .007) in the experimental group compared to the control group but change in energy intake was not significant (F(1,48df) = 3.298, η2 = 0.064, p = .076). Experimental within-group changes for WREQ subscale scores External Cues (t(23) = 3.779, p = .001) and Emotional Eating (t(23) = 2.282, p = .032) decreased over time, along with increased total and summary IES (t(23) = 2.6330, p = .015) and MEQ (t(23) = 2.663, p = .014) scores. Promising findings of reduced eating rate, increased meal duration, and improved WREQ, IES, and MEQ scores should be followed up in larger more diverse samples for longer durations.

The Relation between Emotional Eating and Perceived Stress among Students in Tertiary Education in Oman

Objectives: Preliminary studies suggested that the high rates of stress are increasingly prevalent in students in tertiary education in the Arabian Gulf countries and that their emotional eating is often triggered by stress. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies on this topic and Oman is no exception. In this study, we intended to examine the prevalence of emotional eating and perceived stress in Omani college students and to clarify the relationship between their emotional eating and sociodemographic and risk factors among the population in the college students in Oman. Methods: We used Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale and Perceived Stress Scale to assess emotional eating and variations in perceived stress, respectively. We also study their sociodemographic and risk factors. Results: A total of 422 students took part in the study, with the age of 20.6 ± 1.8 (mean ± standard deviation) years. Of all students, 85.8% (n = 362) were reported to have emotional eating and 78.7% of the sample were reported to experience stress. The multivariate logistic analysis showed that body mass index (BMI) and the student's major subjects were the significant risk factors. Students who majored in science/engineering/agriculture (odds ratio [OR] = 0.926, p &lt; 0.001) and arts/business/law were 3.1 times (OR = 3.115, p &lt; 0.05) and 2.3 times (OR = 2.347, p &lt; 0.05) were significantly engaged in emotional eating as compared to those majoring in medicine/nursing. Students who are underweight (BMI &lt; 18) were 3.9 times (OR = 3.984, p &lt; 0.05) were also significantly more to engage in emotional eating than those students who were overweight/obese (BMI 25+). Conclusion: In this study, we found that both rates of emotional eating and stress were high among college students in Oman. Contrary to international trends, underweight students (BMI &lt; 18) were more prone to engaging in emotional eating than overweight/obese students (BMI 25+) in our study sample. This suggests that there is likely to be subcultural diversity or artifacts that are intimately tied to emotional eating. More studies on this discrepant finding are warranted.

Development of a Video-Based Tool for the Self-Assessment of Eating Rates in Young Adult Females.

Eating speed assessments are often based on self-reports, and establishing objective "ratings" is required to improve accuracy. However, no relevant simple assessment tool incorporating "ratings" is currently available. This study aimed to develop a group-adaptable eating rate assessment tool for young females using smartphones. Fifty female college students were directly observed while eating, and a self-assessment tool for the eating rate was created using video. Using the directly observed eating rate of a test food A as the gold standard (GS), we compared the eating rate self-assessment findings between those obtained using a conventional questionnaire and those obtained using an assessment tool. The validity and reproducibility of the assessment tool were verified. In terms of validity, the correlation coefficient for the GS questionnaire (r=0.442, p<0.001) was similar to that for the self-assessment tool (r=0.491, p<0.001). The reproducibility of repeated measurements of the self-assessment tool was inferior to that of the questionnaire (weighted kappa coefficients; 0.393 vs. 0.804). This may be explained in part by participants selecting the same items with specific words such as "fast" or "slow" on two occasions. As for the validity of test food A, additional measurements for test food C on a subset of subjects (n=16) showed a strong positive correlation (r=0.845, p<0.001) between A and C. The present study suggests that a video-based self-assessment tool we developed for young adult females is straightforward, and allows the subjects to observe specific and visual ratings in a manner that is less burdensome and time-effective than conventional questionnaire methods.

Rationale and Design of an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Examining Predictors of Binge Eating Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Young Women: Protocol for the Health and Experiences in Real Life (HER Life) Study.

Previous research has identified health disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual women, including increased rates of obesity and binge eating in sexual minority women. Established predictors of binge eating behavior include negative emotions and sociocultural processes; however, these studies are generally conducted in samples of young women where sexual identity is not known or reported. There is a dearth of research evaluating how sexual minority-specific factors (eg, minority stress and connectedness to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community) may affect binge eating in sexual minority women. In addition, no studies have examined these processes in racially diverse samples or considered how intersecting minority identities (eg, Black and sexual minority) may affect eating behaviors. The Health and Experiences in Real Life (HER Life) Project aims to clarify real-world predictors of binge eating in young heterosexual and sexual minority women using ecological momentary assessment. The role of affective, social, and health behavior factors in binge eating will be examined for all women (aim 1), and sexual minority-specific predictors will also be considered for sexual minority women participants (aim 2). Person-level moderators of race, body- and eating-related factors, and sexual minority-specific factors will also be examined to better understand how real-world binge eating predictors may differ for various demographic groups (aim 3). Researchers aim to recruit 150 sexual minority and 150 heterosexual women from across the United States, including at least 50 Black women for each group, using web-based recruitment methods. The eligibility criteria include identifying as a woman, being aged between 18 and 30 years, and having had at least two binge eating episodes in the last 2 weeks. Participants must endorse being only or mostly attracted to men (considered heterosexual) or only or mostly attracted to women or having a current or most recent female partner (considered sexual minority). Eligible participants complete an initial web-based baseline survey and then 14 days of ecological momentary assessment involving the completion of a morning and before-bed survey and 5 prompted surveys per day as well as a user-initiated survey after binge eating episodes. The data will be analyzed using a series of multilevel models. Data collection started in February 2021. We have currently enrolled 129 sexual minority women and 146 heterosexual women. Data collection is expected to conclude in fall 2022. The Health and Experiences in Real Life Project aims to elucidate potential differences between sexual minority and heterosexual women in within-person factors predicting binge eating and inform eating disorder interventions for sexual minority women. The challenges in recruiting sexual minority women, including the determination of eligibility criteria and considerations for remote data collection, are discussed. DERR1-10.2196/41199.