Worry wart: A preregistered, experimental investigation of worry-induced emotional eating and associated psychological characteristics.

Emotional eating, defined as eating influenced by emotional states, has been linked to the development of chronic diseases. Psychometric instruments, such as the Florence Emotional Eating Drive (FEED), are crucial for screening this behaviour, and their relevance must be validated in Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the FEED in Brazilians and to examine gender-based differences in emotional eating drive. This cross-sectional study collected data online. The FEED originally comprises 23 items and three factors. Factorial, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity, as well as reliability, were analysed separately for each gender. Different factorial models of the FEED were tested, and refinement of a model previously applied in Brazil was required for both genders. FEED scores were computed, classified into categories, and compared between genders. A total of 1274 individuals (54.6% men) aged ≥ 18 years participated. A 21-item model with three factors (Brazilian refined version) demonstrated good psychometric properties for both men and women. A second-order hierarchical model based on this structure was parsimonious and enabled the computation of a global emotional eating score. Significant gender differences emerged, with women presenting higher emotional eating scores. Most participants were classified as having no or low emotional urge to eat, with a higher prevalence among men. The FEED proved psychometrically robust for Brazilian women and men after item reduction. Gender-based differences indicate greater emotional eating among women, reinforcing the importance of considering gender-specific aspects in research and interventions addressing this construct.

Parenting and schema domains as predictors of intuitive and dysregulated eating in emerging adults.

This study aims to evaluate ultra-processed food consumption and eating behavior in adults with obesity. A cross-sectional study with 77 volunteers from São Paulo, Brazil. Food consumption was assessed using three 24-hour dietary recalls, classified by using the NOVA classification system, and the Diet Quality Index was also evaluated. Eating behavior and symptoms of binge eating and bulimia were assessed using the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE), the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ), and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-21). The average BMI of the sample was 39.14 kg/m² ± 5.57, and the median caloric intake was 1661 kcal (756.07-4774.40), with a macronutrient distribution of 48% carbohydrates, 32% fat, and 20% protein. Volunteers were divided into tertiles of calories ingested from ultra-processed foods (%): 1st < 24.10% (n = 25); 2nd between 24.10%-35.40% (n = 26); and the 3rd > 35.40% (n = 26). The sample showed intermediate diet quality (43.08 ± 10.17), while the 3rd tertile presented a low-quality diet (37 ± 10), differing from other groups (p = 0.001; p = 0.003). All groups showed intermediate BITE scores (19,6 ± 9,8), an indicator of unusual eating behavior. The third tertile had a higher symptom score than the first tertile (p = 0.008). In the association analysis, the consumption of ultra-processed foods was positively associated with the presence of binge eating and bulimia symptoms (p = 0.018), emotional (p = 0.001) and external eating (p = 0.001) as assessed by the DEBQ, and emotional (p = 0.008) and uncontrolled eating (p = 0.006) as assessed by the TFEQ-21. In contrast, diet quality was negatively associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods (p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods by volunteers with obesity may be associated with higher scores for unusual eating behavior, symptoms of binge eating, and bulimia, in addition to augmented emotional, external and uncontrolled eating, and lower diet quality scores.

Sub-optimal sleep, whether insufficient, excessive, or poor-quality, is an independent risk factor for obesity, largely through influencing energy intake via altered appetite and reward processing. Less is known about its influence on real-world dietary behaviours. We examined associations of self-reported sleep quality and duration with dietary eating behaviours in a large UK adult cohort. 27,263 adults (median (interquartile range): age, 51.0 (16.0) years; BMI, 25.2 (5.3) kg/m2; 40.5% female) completed a standardised health assessment, including self-reported sleep quality (1-10 scale) and duration. Thirteen eating behaviours broadly reflecting emotional/reward-driven eating, dietary disinhibition, food preferences, and meal patterns were assessed via questionnaire. Regression models examined associations between sleep characteristics and eating behaviours, adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, assessment year, and region. Odds ratios (OR) are presented for ordinal/binary outcomes and rate ratios (RR) for count outcomes. Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration were associated with an eating profile suggestive of heightened emotional/reward-driven eating and reduced dietary restraint. This included higher odds/frequency of eating out of boredom, stress, or anger, overeating, skipping meals, and consuming energy-dense foods (OR/RR range: 1.08-3.50, P≤0.018). Long sleep duration was linked to higher emotional eating (OR range: 1.16-1.19, P<0.001) but showed fewer signs of impulsivity or disinhibited intake. Some behaviours, like adding sugar to food and snacking, were not consistently related to sleep characteristics. In conclusion, short and poor-quality sleep are associated with eating patterns that may increase obesity risk. Interventions targeting sleep extension and quality could support healthier dietary behaviours and appetite regulation.

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), food addiction (FA), and compulsive exercise (CE) represent increasing public health concerns among university students, particularly those enrolled in nutrition-related programs. Although research examining disordered eating attitudes in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, has expanded in recent years, studies specifically targeting nutrition major students and employing standardized assessment instruments remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of DEBs, FA, and CE and to examine their associations with body mass index (BMI), educational level, age, and academic achievement, as indicated by grade point average (GPA), among female nutrition students at Taibah University in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from January 29 to May 1, 2025, among 138 undergraduate nutrition majors (aged 18-25) at Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, using a self-administered online questionnaire to collect demographic data (age, BMI, GPA, educational level) and four validated instruments, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire -Short (EDE-QS) and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-Revised 18-item version (TFEQ-R18) for DEBs, the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0) for FA, and the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) for CE. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and unadjusted Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine associations between study variables. Based on the EDE-QS, 21.7% of 138 clinical nutrition students were classified as having a high risk of eating disorders. Eating behavior patterns assessed by the TFEQ-R18 indicated that body mass index (BMI) showed a low positive association with cognitive restraint and a positive association with emotional eating, both negligible, whereas uncontrolled eating was significantly negatively associated with age and educational level. Severe food addiction was identified in 11.6% of participants, and 21% demonstrated high levels of compulsive exercise, whereas age, educational level, and GPA showed limited to no significant associations with most outcomes. This study highlights the importance of BMI as a key indicator in identifying at-risk students for DEBs, FA and CE. These findings highlight the need for future longitudinal research to examine causal relationships and to assess preventive and supportive strategies targeting maladaptive eating and exercise behaviors among nutrition students.

Adolescence is a key developmental stage marked by physiological and behavioural changes. Eating behaviour, modifiable and sex-dependent, may be altered and linked to future health issues. This cross-sectional study aims to assess whether eating behaviours and body composition are associated in an adolescent sample. Participants aged 12.5-17.5 years were recruited from 10 European cities, with valid data on age, sex, socio-demographic status, body composition and physical activity and who had also completed the specific eating behaviour questionnaire "Eating Behaviour and Weight Problems Inventory for Children". Different linear regression models were adjusted for relevant confounders, and ANCOVA models were performed. Eating Behaviours related to weight concerns, dietary restraint, emotional eating, fear of weight gain, healthy nutrition and figure dissatisfaction were strongly positively associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI), Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Waist Circumference (WC), especially in males (betas resulting from the association between these behavioural subscales and body composition in males, ranged from 0.174 to 0.974 for BMI, 0.172 to 0.930 for FMI, and 0.128 to 0.889 for WC). The strongest association was detected in the weight concerns subscale for both males and females. Eating behaviours across all domains are significantly linked to body composition, with variations depending on the specific behavioural domain and the adolescent's sex. These findings are critical for identifying specific behavioural patterns that contribute to obesity and related health issues, providing new insights for more targeted prevention strategies during this crucial stage of development.

This study aimed to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms after bariatric surgery and to identify clinical, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors associated with postoperative psychological outcomes. This cross-sectional study included 300 adults who had undergone bariatric surgery at least 12 months previously (172 sleeve gastrectomy and 128 gastric bypass). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Psychosocial factors were assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), Emotional Eating Scale (EES) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Socioeconomic status, psychotropic medication use and percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) were recorded. Group comparisons, correlation analyses and multivariable linear regression were performed. Patients who underwent gastric bypass reported significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with sleeve gastrectomy patients (PHQ-9: 9.7±4.2 vs 7.3±3.7; GAD-7: 8.5±4.0 vs 6.5±3.9; both p<0.01). Greater %TWL was inversely associated with depressive (r = -0.29, p<0.001) and anxiety symptoms (r = -0.24, p<0.001). Participants with struggling socioeconomic status had higher PHQ-9 scores than those with comfortable status (10.4±4.5 vs 7.1±3.4; Cohen's d=0.73), and psychotropic medication users reported greater symptom severity than non-users (PHQ-9: 10.8±4.3 vs 7.3±3.6; p<0.001). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were moderately correlated with lower self-esteem (RSES), greater body image dissatisfaction (BSQ), higher emotional eating (EES) and lower perceived social support (MSPSS) (all |r|=0.30-0.55). In multivariable regression, surgery type, %TWL, socioeconomic status and psychotropic medication use independently predicted depressive symptoms, with the model explaining approximately 33% of the variance. Bariatric surgery affects physical and mental health. Gastric bypass patients report more depression and anxiety, sleeve gastrectomy boosts self-esteem, and weight loss improves well-being, though social and medication factors raise psychological risk.

Background/Objectives: Emotional eating is a behavioral pattern in which individuals increase food intake in response to emotional states rather than physiological hunger. University students are particularly vulnerable due to academic stress, lifestyle changes, and a food environment dominated by highly palatable options. Although emotional eating has been associated with adiposity and metabolic alterations, evidence in Mexican university populations remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of emotional eating and to examine its association with anthropometric and biochemical indicators in students from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (UAQ). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 670 first-year university students participating in the SU SALUD-UAQ clinical evaluation. Emotional eating was assessed using the 10-item Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ). Anthropometric measures (body mass index BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference) and biochemical markers (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and glucose) were obtained through standardized clinical procedures. Associations were evaluated using multivariable linear and logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, physical activity level, sleep duration, stress, and socioeconomic status. Results: The prevalence of emotional eating categories was as follows: non-emotional (33.5%), low emotional (31.1%), emotional (27.6%), and highly emotional (7.8%). Higher EEQ scores were independently associated with greater BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference in both sexes. In women, emotional eating was also independently associated with less favorable lipid profiles. In addition, students classified as emotional or highly emotional eaters showed higher odds of general and abdominal obesity, particularly among women. Conclusions: Emotional eating is highly prevalent among Mexican university students and is independently associated with increased adiposity in both sexes and with altered lipid profiles in women. These findings highlight the relevance of integrating emotional regulation strategies into university health programs as a component of comprehensive health promotion approaches aimed at addressing emotional eating and its associated anthropometric and metabolic correlates in young adults.

Adverse and positive childhood experiences (ACEs and PCEs, respectively) are known to influence various health-related outcomes in adulthood, including eating behaviors. Emotional eating is considered a maladaptive eating style, whereas intuitive eating is perceived as an adaptive one. Understanding how ACEs and PCEs relate to these eating styles could inform targeted interventions. This study investigated the relationship between the types of ACEs and PCEs and eating styles (emotional and intuitive eating) among a national sample of Polish adults (n=2231). ACEs were assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire and PCEs using the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale. The two eating styles were also assessed: maladaptive (emotional eating) via the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-13) and adaptive (intuitive eating) via the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2). Network analysis revealed that emotional eating was positively associated with three ACEs: sexual abuse, unmet basic needs (e.g., access to food) and a lack of family love. However, emotional eating style was not associated with any PCEs. Intuitive eating was positively associated with three PCEs: comforting beliefs, fun activities, and self-acceptance. Similarly, intuitive eating was not associated with any ACEs. Body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with emotional eating and negatively associated with intuitive eating. Our findings suggest that PCEs and ACEs are independent predictors of opposing eating styles in adulthood. The results of this study can contribute to the development of effective interventions to promote the physical and mental well-being of adults.

Stigma consciousness refers to an individual difference in the extent to which members of stereotyped groups believe that their stereotyped status permeates interactions with out-group members. This investigation examined whether stigma consciousness contributed unique variance in predicting mental well-being, and eating and positive body image outcomes (i.e., depression, self-esteem, body appreciation, intuitive eating, emotional eating) after controlling for experienced weight stigma (EWS), including fat microaggressions (FM), and internalized weight bias (IWB). Study participants (N = 288) were recruited through a Qualtrics research panel, all of whom were required to be at least 18 years old with a BMI > 25. In hierarchical regressions predicting self-esteem, depression, body appreciation, and intuitive eating, stigma consciousness significantly accounted for 3.7-20.0 % of unique variance beyond EWS, FM, and IWB. Stigma consciousness was not associated with emotional eating and did not predict depressive symptoms after accounting for weight stigma. The belief that one is being judged according to stereotypes may not be sufficient to induce occurrences of emotional eating, nor contribute uniquely to depression symptoms above and beyond weight stigma. These findings indicate that stigma consciousness is not redundant with existing weight-related constructs such as FM, IWB, and EWS in predicting self-esteem, body appreciation, and intuitive eating. These findings further indicate that the expectation that an individual is being judged based on stereotypes related to their identity is associated with negative psychological outcomes. Developing interventions to empower individuals and buffer against the harmful effects of stigma consciousness is imperative.

The experiences of seven academicians at a private university with emotional eating were examined. Data driven by face-to-face interviews and food diaries were analyzed by using reflexive thematic analysis via MAXQDA. Three overarching themes: (i) Feeding the tension: Stress-induced emotional eating, (ii) Treat or threat? Coping with emotional and social triggers, (iii) Tug of war-Comfort vs. control arose from in-depth interviews using reflective thematic analysis. The findings of the study highlight the importance of addressing work-related stressors, personal life pressures, and eating patterns to promote an in-depth understanding among emotional eating-related factors. Negative emotions and social norms acted as triggers of emotion-induced food consumption in academic contexts. This study emphasizes that providing institutional support in terms of environmental and psychological domains might encourage academicians to adopt effective coping mechanisms. Future studies might integrate interventions that address the underpinnings of emotional eating, with a focus on guilt management, self-compassion, and mindful eating practices.

With the rapid development of digital technology, the risk of internet addiction among adolescents has increased. However, the influence mechanism of emotional eating behavior on internet addiction remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association pathway of emotional eating on internet addiction in junior high school students and test the chain-mediating effects of sleep quality (sleep quality was measured using the PSQI, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality) and depression. Based on data from 3245 junior high school students in Shenzhen, China, internet addiction was measured using Young's questionnaire, and emotional eating was assessed via the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire's subscale. The PROCESS macro (Model 6) was used to test the chain-mediating effects. Emotional eating was positively but modestly associated with internet addiction (β = 0.024, p < 0.01). Three significant mediating pathways were identified: (1) emotional eating → sleep quality → internet addiction (β = 0.0062, 14.52% of total effect); (2) emotional eating → depression → internet addiction (β = 0.0084, 19.67%); and (3) emotional eating → sleep quality → depression → internet addiction (β = 0.0041, 9.60%). Based on cross-sectional data, this study found that emotional eating is associated with internet addiction through the independent and chain-mediating effects of sleep quality and depression, revealing a statistical mediation pathway of "maladaptive emotion regulation → circadian disruption → psychopathology → addictive behavior." These findings provide a basis for interventions targeting sleep management and emotional regulation.

Introduction: anxiety influences the eating behavior of medical students who consume unhealthy foods to mitigate stress by seeking the feeling of well-being and relaxation generated by the release of dopamine associated their consumption. Understanding this relationship is important to design interventions and health programs focused on improving students' well-being and promoting healthier eating habits. And therefore, reduce the recurrence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in young adults, which promote a greater cardiometabolic risk. Objectives: to determine the level of anxiety in medical students, and its relationship with the consumption of unhealthy foods, obesity, and cardiometabolic risk. Results: 95 % of the students reported symptoms of anxiety (49 % men, 51 % women), with an average of moderate anxiety (p < 0.001); 74 % indicated being emotional eaters (33.87 % men, 40.63 % women), where the most consumed food was sweets (51.4 %), followed by savory foods (32.27 %), fats (11.15 %), and healthy foods (5.18 %). According to the BMI, 44 % of the population is classified as having a high weight (31.87 % overweight and 11.96 % obese), and among this group, 41.5 % have central obesity and are at risk of metabolic disease. Students who exhibited anxiety showed a moderate positive correlation (ρ = 0.497) with the consumption of unhealthy foods, where the exposed group has a high risk of being emotional eaters. Conclusions: the prevalence of anxiety among medical students was high, being this a factor that contributes to the consumption of unhealthy foods, which causes nutritional repercussions and poses a risk for the development of cardiometabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemias. For this reason, it is important to implement reinforcements and measures in nutritional education, where the scientific and academic community must be included.

Female undergraduates are at elevated risk for developing eating disorder symptoms. This cross-sectional study examined predictors of three disordered eating behaviors-uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and cognitive restraint-among Chinese female undergraduates. A total of 1,727 participants (mean age = 19.73 ± 1.47 years) completed a web-based survey assessing demographics, sociocultural pressures, body dissatisfaction, fatness concern, body image flexibility, and disordered eating behaviors. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors. Over half of the participants reported high levels of disordered eating behaviors. Uncontrolled eating was significantly associated with older age, higher perceived sociocultural pressures, lower body image flexibility, studying at China West Normal University, and fatness concern. Emotional eating was associated with higher perceived sociocultural pressures, body dissatisfaction and fatness concern. Cognitive restraint was associated with higher perceived sociocultural pressures, fatness concern, and body dissatisfaction. Participants who saw themselves as too fat had higher odds of showing emotional eating and cognitive restraint, while those who felt too thin had lower odds of showing cognitive restraint. Perceived sociocultural pressures, body dissatisfaction, and weight-related concerns were key predictors of disordered eating behaviors, highlighting the need for multifaceted interventions tailored to these psychological and sociocultural factors.

Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern, associated with severe physical and psychological consequences. This study investigates the relationship between self-conscious emotions, specifically shame and guilt, and their impact on eating behaviors, physical activity levels, and screen time in children aged 10-18years. Understanding these relationships may help design more effective obesity management strategies. The study included 100 children with obesity and 90 children without obesity. Participants were evaluated using the Test of Self-Conscious Affect for Adolescents (TOSCA-A), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C), and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). Comparative analysis was conducted between the two groups to assess emotional and behavioral patterns. Children with obesity reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, emotional eating, and restrictive eating, along with lower physical activity levels and increased screen time compared to children without obesity. While guilt was positively correlated with emotional eating in both groups, shame was significantly associated with problematic eating patterns only in children without obesity. The relationship between physical activity and these emotions was minimal, with only guilt showing a modest negative association with school-based activity in the control group. These findings highlight the need to address emotional well-being as part of childhood obesity interventions. Psychological approaches focusing on guilt and emotional eating may improve the effectiveness of treatment strategies. Future research is warranted to explore developmental variations in the impact of shame and guilt on children's behaviors. Level III, well-designed cross-sectional analysis.

Overweight and obesity are linked with binge eating disorder (BED). Traditionally, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the therapeutic approach indicated for both inpatient and outpatient treatment of BED. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) could be more effective for the treatment of BED, in particular with patients who have experienced one or more traumatic experiences. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was thus run to test the hypothesis that a 4-week EMDR intervention was more effective than a parallel CBT intervention in the treatment of inpatients with obesity and BED who experienced at least a traumatic event. The sample included 31 inpatients, who were randomly assigned to EMDR (n=16) or CBT (n=15). Outcomes were the reduction of binge eating symptoms, emotional eating, psychological distress, and trauma-related variables, and the improvement of emotion regulation from baseline to treatment completion. Results showed no statistically significant difference between the two treatment conditions, while statistically significant improvements were observed in the whole sample and in several outcome variables: depression, anxiety, stress, emotional eating, binge eating, two Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) domains (Clarity and Strategies), and the DERS total score, two Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) sub-scales (Intrusion and Hyperarousal) and the IES-R total score, but with small standardized sizes of improvements (Cohen's d). Both interventions may have yielded similar benefits; however, the absence of a control group prevented a clear attribution of these improvements to the interventions, as all participants were concurrently undergoing a structured residential multidisciplinary treatment. Future studies should include larger samples, longer treatment protocols, and follow-up assessments, as well as comparison groups of inpatients not receiving experimental treatments, to better isolate the specific effects of EMDR and CBT.

Professors play a crucial role in the educational process, making their well-being a key area of interest in research on universities as health-promoting settings. The scientific literature emphasizes that various contextual, personal, and behavioral factors have a direct impact on faculty health. To estimate the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among Spanish university professors, and to examine their associations with lifestyle habits and indicators of physical and mental health. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1560 participants (mean age 47.39 ± 11.29 years) from thirteen universities that are part of the Spanish Network of Health-Promoting Universities. The variables assessed included stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, health-related quality of life, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, dietary patterns, sleep quality, and vocal fatigue. Regression analyses revealed that, across all three outcomes, lower mental well-being, greater emotional exhaustion, and more frequent sleep disturbances were significant predictors of psychological distress. For stress and anxiety, being female and younger also emerged as significant demographic predictors. Stress was additionally associated with increased emotional eating and reduced vocal recovery, whereas anxiety was linked to greater physical vocal discomfort. Depression was predicted exclusively by lower mental well-being, higher emotional exhaustion, and more sleep problems. The psychological health of university faculty is influenced by a complex interplay of well-being, occupational, and lifestyle factors. Interventions aimed at enhancing emotional regulation, promoting sleep hygiene, ensuring balanced workloads, and providing psychosocial support, along with institutional measures that address early-career vulnerabilities and gender disparities, may help mitigate stress, anxiety, and depression among university professors.

Obesity has reached alarming levels globally and across the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, approximately one-third of Saudi adults have obesity, representing a major public health concern. Understanding behavioral factors underlying obesity is essential; therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between eating styles and obesity indicators among Saudi adults and to examine gender differences in these associations. This cross-sectional study included 997 adult (405 males and 592 females) aged ≥ 18 years residing in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, health status. Eating behaviors were assessed using the validated Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), which measures restrained, emotional, and external eating styles. Regression models were used to examine gender differences in mean eating style scores and to assess associations between eating styles, categorical BMI, and body fatness. The mean age of participants was 37.05 ± 13.39 years. Significant gender differences were observed in BMI, body fatness, and physical activity levels. Females demonstrated higher restrained eating scores compared with males (β = -0.14; 95% CI: -0.24, -0.04; p = 0.008). Participants with obesity exhibited higher emotional eating scores, while external eating was more prevalent among underweight participants. Body fatness was significantly associated with emotional and external eating but not restrained eating. BMI status appears to be associated with specific eating styles, particularly unhealthy eating behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of behavioral-focused nutritional interventions that support eating regulation rather than emphasizing weight loss alone.

Abstract Background With the rapid changes in lifestyle and pace, the public is facing multiple pressures in social and work planning, which not only affect their mental health but may also have a significant impact on their dietary behavior. The relationship between stress and dietary behavior may be influenced by mediating variables such as emotional state and sleep quality, but existing research on these mechanisms is insufficient and lacks consistent conclusions. Therefore, the systematic exploration of the correlation between stress perception and dietary behavior in psychological disorders aims to reveal the chain mediated role of anxiety and sleep quality between stress perception and dietary behavior, and provide scientific basis and decision-making reference for dietary behavior intervention measures in psychotherapy activities. Methods The study used convenience sampling to select undergraduate students who had participated in stress management in universities as the research subjects. A questionnaire survey was conducted using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Dietary Behavior Scale. After obtaining the survey results, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression methods were used to explore the relationship between stress, anxiety, and dietary behavior. At the same time, the study used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test whether the differences in the scores of dietary behavior and healthy eating awareness among students with different exercise frequencies were statistically significant. Results The experimental results showed a positive correlation between stress perception and eating behaviors such as snacking (0.17, p&amp;lt;.01), food response (0.16, p&amp;lt;.01), emotional eating (0.327, p&amp;lt;.01), restrictive eating (0.099, p&amp;lt;.01), and picky eating (0.222, p&amp;lt;.01). There is a negative correlation between perceived stress and awareness of healthy eating (-0.216, p&amp;lt;.01). There is a positive correlation between anxiety and eating behaviors such as snacking (0.181, p&amp;lt;.01), food response (0.135, p&amp;lt;.01), emotional eating (0.292, p&amp;lt;.01), restrictive eating (0.082, p&amp;lt;.01), and picky eating (0.197, p&amp;lt;.01). There is a negative correlation between anxiety and awareness of healthy eating (-0.139, p&amp;lt; .01). At the same time, college students who exercise more than 3 times a week scored lower in picky eating and emotional eating compared to the group of students who exercise very little, while scoring higher in restrictive eating and awareness of healthy eating compared to the group of students who exercise very little. Experiments have shown that when the subjects' perceived stress or anxiety levels increase, unhealthy eating behaviors also tend to increase. When an individual's awareness of healthy eating increases, their stress perception and anxiety levels may decrease. Discussion The research findings indicate a significant bidirectional relationship between stress, anxiety, and dietary behavior. Stress and anxiety not only affect dietary behavior, but changes in dietary behavior can also in turn affect an individual's levels of stress and anxiety. This discovery provides a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders, emphasizing the importance of considering dietary behavior when treating psychological disorders. The research also provides a theoretical basis for developing comprehensive psychological intervention measures, which may include stress management, anxiety treatment, and dietary behavior adjustment. Future research can further explore how to alleviate stress and anxiety by improving dietary behavior, as well as how to improve dietary behavior through stress and anxiety management.