Higher Emotional Eating Research Articles

Effects of obesity treatment-associated changes in mood and self-regulation on high emotional eating

Effects of obesity treatment-associated changes in mood and self-regulation on high emotional eating

Association between Emotional Eating and Frequency of Unhealthy Food Consumption among Taiwanese Adolescents.

Emotional eating is one factor that increases the consumption of unhealthy food. This study aimed to investigate the association between emotional eating and frequencies of consuming fast food, high-fat snacks, processed meat products, dessert foods, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in adolescents. The baseline survey data (2015) from the Taiwan Adolescent to Adult Longitudinal Study (TAALS) were fitted into multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex, school type, Body Mass Index (BMI), eating while doing something, nutrition label reading, skipping breakfast, smoking, binge drinking, sedentary lifestyle, physical activity, peer and school support, and parental education level. Among the 18,461 participants (48.5% male and 51.5% female), those exhibiting emotional eating were more likely to consume fast food (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.40, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 2.18–2.64), high-fat snacks (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 2.12–2.49), processed meat products (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.78–2.08), dessert foods (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 2.31–2.69), and sugar-sweetened beverages (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.70–1.98). Factors that were positively associated with unhealthy food consumption included eating while doing other activities, binge drinking, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle. Among all the covariates, nutrition label reading was the only factor that was inversely associated with frequent unhealthy food consumption. Sex and school type may moderate the effect of emotional eating on the frequent consumption of specific unhealthy food groups. In conclusion, adolescents with high emotional eating were more likely to report frequent consumption of unhealthy foods in Taiwan. Our findings showed that male participants appeared to consume fast foods, high-fat snacks, processed meat, and SSBs more often and dessert foods less often than females. Future longitudinal studies are recommended for understanding the causal relationship between emotional eating and unhealthy food consumption.

Differences in the Associations between Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Outcomes by Gender? A Lebanese Population Study

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender on eating disorders (restrained eating, binge eating, orthorexia nervosa, and emotional eating) among a sample of Lebanese adults. MethodsThis cross-sectional study, conducted between January and May 2018, enrolled 811 participants selected randomly from all Lebanese Mohafazat. The mean age of the participants was 27.6±11.8 years. The majority were females (66.5%), had a high level of education (73.2%), and low income (77.9%). This study used the following scales: body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-second version, binge eating scale, Dutch restrained eating scale, orthorexia nervosa scale (ORTHO-15 scale), emotional eating scale, perceived stress scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. ResultsBody dissatisfaction was positively correlated to restrained eating (r=0.293, P<0.001), emotional eating (r=0.073, P=0.042) and binge eating (r=0.250, P<0.001). The interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender was significantly associated with more restrained eating (Beta=0.01, P<0.001) and orthorexia nervosa (Beta=−0.09, P<0.001), but not with emotional (Beta=−0.43, P=0.103) and binge eating (Beta=−0.08, P=0.358). When stratifying the analysis by gender, the results revealed that higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with more restrained eating in both genders, but particularly among women. Body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher emotional eating in men only and with higher orthorexia nervosa tendencies and behaviors in females only. ConclusionThe interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender was significantly associated with orthorexia nervosa and restrained eating but not with binge or emotional eating. Higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher restrained eating, more pronounced in women, while it was significantly associated with higher orthorexia tendencies (lower ORTO-15 scores) in women only. Body dissatisfaction was associated with emotional eating in men only.

Impact of Covid-19 Lockdown Measures on Lifestyle Behavior in Children and Adolescents With Severe Obesity

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown measures were implemented with large impact on lifestyle behaviors and well-being of children (including adolescents). The impact on children with severe obesity, who plausibly are at even larger risk, has not yet been described. Aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on eating behaviors, physical activity, screen time and quality of life (QoL) of children with severe obesity. Methods: In this mixed-methods study, questionnaires and semi-structured telephone interviews were used to investigate impact of COVID-19 during the first wave in the Netherlands (April 2020) on children with severe obesity (adult BMI-equivalent ≥35kg/m2) treated at our obesity center. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire - Child, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Dutch Physical Activity Questionnaire were filled out by their families pre-pandemic and during lockdown. Changes over time in percentile scores, weekly physical activity and screen time were assessed. Qualitative analyses were performed according to the Grounded Theory. Results: We included 83 families, of which 75 participated in the interviews. Their children’s characteristics were mean age 11.5years (SD 4.6), 52% female, mean BMI SD score 3.8 (SD 1.0), indicating severe obesity. On group level, no changes in scores for emotional, restrained, external eating, and QoL nor in screen time were observed (Δ scores +9.2, +3.9, +0.3; and +3.0, respectively; -0.3 hr/wk; all p>0.05). Weekly physical activity decreased (Δ -1.9 hr/wk, p=0.02). Age, pre-existent psychosocial problems and pre-pandemic questionnaire scores were associated with improved or deteriorated questionnaire scores in specific subgroups. For example, children who did not fulfill WHO physical activity criteria pre-pandemic showed a further decline from 2.8 to 0.7 h/wk (p=0.001). Children with high emotional and external eating during lockdown had the lowest QoL scores (p-values <0.01). Qualitative data showed that an increased demand for food was frequently observed (n=21), mostly in children aged <10 years (19/21). This was attributed to loss of daily structure, increased stress, or emotional eating. Families who reported no changes (n=15) or improved eating behaviors (n=11) attributed this to already existing strict eating schemes that they kept adhering to. Conclusion: This study shows differential response profiles to COVID-19 lockdown in children with severe obesity. Although on group level lifestyle scores averaged out, a substantial part of families reported deterioration in physical activity and eating behaviors. Children with pre-existent psychosocial problems, high external or emotional eating scores were most at risk. Health care professionals should target these vulnerable children to minimize short- and long-term negative physical and mental health consequences.

Eating styles profiles in Chilean women: A latent Profile analysis

The aims of this study were to identify profiles of women based on their levels of emotional, external and restraint eating, and to determine differences in these eating styles profiles based on nutritional status, sociodemographic characteristics, stress, social support, and satisfaction with the body image. Questionnaires were administered to 884 women aged 20 to 60 living in two Chilean cities. Questionnaires included the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Satisfaction with body image was assessed using a body-image-related single question. Nutritional status and sociodemographic characteristics were also assessed. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify profiles based on the three eating styles measured by the DEBQ. LPA allowed to distinguish four eating styles profiles: “women with medium emotional and external eating, high dietary restraint” (Profile 1, 36.64%); “women with low emotional, external and restraint eating” (Profile 2, 25.25%), “women with high emotional, external and restraint eating” (Profile 3, 21.85%); and “women with very low emotional and external eating, low dietary restraint” (Profile 4, 16.26%). Profile 1 had a greater proportion of women moderately satisfied with their body image. Profiles 2 and 4 scored higher in perceived social support and had greater proportions of women satisfied with their body image. Profile 4 had a higher proportion of married or cohabiting women. Profile 3 scored higher in the PSS and had higher proportion of obese and unsatisfied with their body image women. These results suggest that interventions to reduce emotional, external and restraint eating should not only involve the women, but also their family members.

Eating in the lockdown during the Covid 19 pandemic; self-reported changes in eating behaviour, and associations with BMI, eating style, coping and health anxiety

The global coronavirus pandemic (Covid 19) resulted in national lockdowns where individuals were asked to isolate in their homes to stop the spread of the disease. Using a cross-sectional survey, the current paper aimed to examine self-reported changes in eating patterns and behaviour during the lockdown in the UK, and associations with BMI, demographic variables, eating styles, health anxiety, food insecurity and coping strategies. Participants (N = 620) were recruited online through social media advertising. The results showed that there were self-reported changes to food consumption during the lockdown across the sample. Increases in consumption of HED (high energy density) snack foods during the lockdown was associated with sex, pre-lockdown eating behaviour (emotional eating and uncontrolled eating), and Covid-specific health anxiety. Increases in positive eating practices such as eating more home prepared foods, and fruits and vegetables, were associated with adaptive coping strategies. Higher emotional eating (EE) during the lockdown was associated with a higher BMI, higher pre-lockdown EE and maladaptive coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies moderated the relationship between BMI and EE during the lockdown. In particular a higher BMI was associated with higher EE during the lockdown if an individual also had higher maladaptive coping strategies. These findings suggest that changes to eating behaviour may be part of a wider style of maladaptive or adaptive coping, particularly in those with a history of EE or uncontrolled eating. Preparing individuals to adopt more adaptive coping strategies during lockdown situations may be crucial to improving health during subsequent the lockdown events.

Metacognitive beliefs and emotional eating in adolescents.

Metacognition refers to how people think about their own thoughts. Existing studies have found that compared to healthy controls, individuals with eating disorders manifest elevated levels of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs. No studies to date have investigated what role metacognitive beliefs play in the manifestation of emotional eating, a well-known risk factor for the development of eating disorders. The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations between metacognitive beliefs and emotional eating in a community sample of adolescents. Participants were 135 middle school students (Mean age = 13.62years; SD = 0.57) who completed the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Children and Adolescents-Short-Form, Metacognition Questionnaire for Children, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children, and a demographic questionnaire. Participants classified as high emotional eaters reported statistically significant higher negative metacognitive beliefs (Mean = 15.56; SD = 4.22) compared to participants classified as low emotional eaters (Mean = 12.85; SD = 4.31; p ≤ 0.001; t = - 3.69). There was a significant positive association between emotional eating and negative metacognitive beliefs in the hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis (standardized beta coefficient = 0.25; p < 0.05) after controlling for socio-demographic variables and negative affect. The current findings provide preliminary evidence that negative metacognitive beliefs may play a role in the manifestation of emotional eating in adolescents. Future prospective studies are needed to elucidate the temporal associations between emotional eating and negative metacognitive beliefs in this population. Level III, case-control analytic study.

Emotional eating among Lebanese adults: scale validation, prevalence and correlates.

The present study aimed at developing an Arabic version of the Emotional Eating Scale (EES) and examining its reliability and validity among a sample of the Lebanese population. The secondary objective was to evaluate the correlation between emotional eating and body dissatisfaction along with depression and/or self-esteem among a representative sample of the Lebanese population. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2018. The sample was drawn proportionately from all Lebanese Mohafazat. All items could be extracted from the list, except items 17 and 19. The EES items converged over a solution of four factors that had an Eigenvalue over 1, explaining a total of 67.06% of the variance (KMO = 0.939; Bartlett's test of sphericity p < 0.001; αCronbach = 0.952). A higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher emotional eating (β = 0.31) and lower self-esteem (β = - 0.054); however, no significant association was found with depression. Self-esteem and depression were not found to be significantly associated with emotional eating. When introducing depression and self-esteem as mediator factors for body dissatisfaction and emotional eating, body dissatisfaction did not remain significantly associated with emotional eating. In this study, the Emotional Eating Scale was validated in Arabic among the Lebanese adult population, making this scale usable in further Lebanese research. Moreover, our results showed that body dissatisfaction was positively correlated with emotional eating and self-esteem, but not with depression. A positive association between body dissatisfaction and emotional eating was also demonstrated. This research offers new perspectives for the evaluation of emotional eating among the Lebanese adult population. LevelV Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Validation of the Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test in Lebanon: a population study.

To validate an Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and identify factors (such as depression, stress, anxiety and body dissatisfaction) that might be associated with disordered eating among a sample of the Lebanese population. Cross-sectional study. All Lebanese governorates. A total of 811 participants randomly selected participated in this 5-month study (January-May 2018). The EAT-26 scale items converged over a solution of six factors that had an eigenvalue over 1, explaining a total of 60·07 % of the variance (Cronbach's α = 0·895). The prevalence of disordered eating attitudes was 23·8 %. Higher EAT-26 scores (disordered eating attitudes) were significantly associated with higher depression (β = 0·325), higher emotional eating (β = 0·083), daily weighing (β = 3·430), higher physical activity (β = 0·05), starving to reduce weight (β = 4·94) and feeling pressure from TV/magazine to lose weight (β = 3·95). The Arabic version of EAT-26 can be a useful instrument for screening and assessing disordered eating attitudes in clinical practice and research. Some factors seem to be associated with more disordered eating attitudes among participants for whom psychological counseling may be needed. Yet, our findings are considered preliminary, and further studies are warranted to confirm them.

الألکسیثمیا وعلاقتها بالأکل الانفعالی لدى عینة من المصریین المقیمین بالمملکة العربیة السعودیة فی ضوء بعض المتغیرات الدیموجرافیة المعدلة Alexithymia and its relationship to emotional eating among a sample of Egyptians residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in terms of some modified demographic variables

تستهدف الدراسة الکشف عن العلاقة بين الألکسيثميا والأکل الانفعالي لدى عينة من المصريين المقيمين بالمملکة العربية السعودية في ضوء بعض المتغيرات المعدلة، کما تستهدف فحص الفروق بين الذکور والإناث مرتفعي الأکل الانفعالي ومنخفضيه في الألکسيثميا وأبعادها الفرعية. ولتحقيق هذه الأهداف تم ترجمة کل من مقياس تورنتو للألکسيثميا ومقياس سالزبورج للأکل الانفعالي، وتم تطبيقهما على أفراد العينة. ولم تکشف النتائج عن ارتباط الألکسيثميا بالأکل الانفعالي بعد عزل تأثير کل من (العمر ومستوى التعليم والنوع والحالة الاجتماعية ومدة الإقامة خارج الوطن)، باستثناء ارتباط الدرجة الکلية للأکل الانفعالي وبعض أبعاده الفرعية خاصة، (السعادة والحزن والغضب والقلق) بالتوجه الخارجي في التفکير؛ ما يعني أن العمر ومستوى التعليم والنوع والحالة الاجتماعية ومدة الإقامة خارج الوطن لم يمارسوا دورا معدلا للعلاقة بين الألکسيثميا والأکل الانفعالي وأبعادهما الفرعية. وکشفت النتائج عن وجود فروق بين الذکور والإناث في الألکسيثميا وبعدي تحديد ووصف الانفعالات، ولم تؤيد وجود فروق بينهما في التوجه الخارجي في التفکير، کما لم تؤيد وجود فروق بين مرتفعي الأکل الانفعالى ومنخفضيه في الدرجة الکلية للألکسيثميا وبعدي تحديد ووصف الانفعالات، بينما کانت هناک فروق بينهما في بعد التوجه الخارجي في التفکير. The study aims to reveal the relationship between alexithymia and emotional eating among a sample of Egyptians residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in terms of some modified demographic variables. It also aims to examine the differences between males and females with high and low emotional eating in alexithymia and its sub-dimensions. To achieve these goals, both the Toronto scale for alexithymia and the Salzburg scale for emotional eating were translated and applied to the individuals in the sample. The results did not reveal correlation between alexithymia and emotional eating after isolating the effect of age, level of education, gender, marital status, and length of residence outside the country), exceptionally the association of the total degree of emotional eating and some of its sub-dimensions (especially, happiness, sadness, anger, and anxiety) to the externally-oriented thinking; which means that Age, level of education, gender, marital status, and length of residence outside the home country did not modify the relationship between alexithymia and emotional eating and their sub-dimensions. The results revealed that there were differences between males and females in alexithymia and both identifying and describing emotions, and did not support the presence of differences between them in the externally-oriented thinking, nor did you support the presence of differences between high emotional eating and low levels in the total degree of alexithymia and both identifying and describing emotions, while there were differences between them in the externally-oriented thinking.

Association between Emotional Eating, Depressive Symptoms and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Symptoms in College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hunan.

This study aims to explore associations between emotional eating, depression and laryngopharyngeal reflux among college students in Hunan Province. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1301 students at two universities in Hunan. Electronic questionnaires were used to collect information about the students’ emotional eating, depressive symptoms, laryngopharyngeal reflux and sociodemographic characteristics. Anthropometric measurements were collected to obtain body mass index (BMI). Results: High emotional eating was reported by 52.7% of students. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 18.6% and that of laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms 8.1%. Both emotional eating and depressive symptoms were associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms (AOR = 3.822, 95% CI 2.126–6.871 vs. AOR = 4.093, 95% CI 2.516–6.661). Conclusion: The prevalence of emotional eating and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students should be pay more attention in the future. Emotional eating and depressive symptoms were positively associated with laryngopharyngeal symptoms. The characteristics of emotional eating require further study so that effective interventions to promote laryngopharyngeal health among college students may be formulated.

The interactive effects of parental self-efficacy and child eating styles in relation to naturalistically-assessed craving, overeating, and loss of control eating.

Parental factors have been linked to weight-related outcomes in children, though less is known regarding the role of parental self-efficacy (PSE) for promoting healthy dietary behaviors (HDBs). This study examined associations between PSE for promoting HDBs and child reports of craving, overeating, and loss of control eating in daily life. The interactive effects of PSE and child eating style (emotional eating, external eating, and restraint) were also explored. Thirty-eight youth (ages 8-14; 55.3% female) with overweight/obesity and their parents completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C) and Parental Self-Efficacy for Healthy Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Scale, respectively. Youth completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to report craving, overeating, and loss of control eating. Generalized estimating equations indicated no consistent main effects of PSE on EMA outcomes, but PSE interacted with DEBQ-C child eating styles to predict each EMA outcome. Among children of parents with lower PSE, (a) higher emotional eating was associated with greater overeating and loss of control eating; (b) higher external eating was associated with greater craving; and (c) higher restraint was associated with greater loss of control eating and craving. Conversely, these associations were attenuated among children of parents with higher PSE. Together findings suggest the interplay of child characteristics and PSE regarding children's eating behaviors warrants future investigation in the context of eating and weight disorders. In particular, further research is needed to examine the directionality of effects and mechanisms underlying these associations.

Emotional eating and obesity in adults: the role of depression, sleep and genes.

Stress and other negative emotions, such as depression and anxiety, can lead to both decreased and increased food intake. The term 'emotional eating' has been widely used to refer to the latter response: a tendency to eat in response to negative emotions with the chosen foods being primarily energy-dense and palatable ones. Emotional eating can be caused by various mechanisms, such as using eating to cope with negative emotions or confusing internal states of hunger and satiety with physiological changes related to emotions. An increasing number of prospective studies have shown that emotional eating predicts subsequent weight gain in adults. This review discusses particularly three lines of research on emotional eating and obesity in adults. First, studies implying that emotional eating may be one behavioural mechanism linking depression and development of obesity. Secondly, studies highlighting the relevance of night sleep duration by showing that adults with a combination of shorter sleep and higher emotional eating may be especially vulnerable to weight gain. Thirdly, an emerging literature suggesting that genes may influence body weight partly through emotional eating and other eating behaviour dimensions. The review concludes by discussing what kind of implications these three avenues of research offer for obesity prevention and treatment interventions.

Study of disturbed eating behaviors in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BackgroundThere is emergent evidence that disturbed eating behaviors, including emotional eating and obesity, co-occur with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The hypothesis that disturbed eating behaviors in ADHD children are related to ADHD symptom severity, so we aimed to examine the link between ADHD symptoms and eating behaviors.ResultsFifty ADHD children were included, and they completed the Emotional Eating scale adapted for children (ESS-C) to evaluate eating in response to emotions. Parents completed the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) to assess children’s eating behavior. Multivariable regression analysis was used to detect the most independent factor for higher body mass index (BMI) risk. Higher rates of overweight/obesity were detected among ADHD children than among the normal population. Also, higher Conners global index was associated with higher BMI z scores. Both inattentive and combined types were linked to higher BMI, while hyperactive type with lower BMI. Regarding eating behaviors, a positive association between food approach and BMI, and a negative association between food avoidant and BMI z-scores was found. Similarly, there was a noteworthy positive relation between emotional overeating and BMI. Sixty-eight of ADHD children were high emotional eaters, mainly inattentive and combined types. Others, mainly hyperactive type, were low emotional eaters. Only ESS-C total score was confirmed as an independent factor for higher BMI risk.ConclusionOur findings provide evidence that emotional overeating and food approach eating behaviors are common among ADHD children with higher BMI associated with them. Future studies for a better understanding of this overlap will enhance potential interventions.

Wanting to eat matters: Negative affect and emotional eating were associated with impaired memory suppression of food cues

ObjectivePrevious studies have linked emotional eating with negative affect and decreased inhibitory control. However, studies on inhibitory control have generally focused on motor inhibition. How to stop higher-level cognitive processes, such as food-related memory retrieval or voluntary thoughts, received few direct investigation in field of food intake or food-related decision making. The current study, adopting Anderson and Green's Think/No-Think paradigm, aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional eating, negative affect and food-related memory suppression. MethodSixty-one young females participated in the current study, during which they finished food specific Think/No-Think task. Their positive and negative affect and eating style were measured using Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule and Dutch Eating Behavior Question. The reward value of the food item used in the Think/No-Think task was measured using liking and wanting ratings. ResultsAs hypothesized, negative affect and emotional eating were associated with decreased memory suppression of palatable food cues. Further analysis showed that higher emotional eating was associated with greater wanting only among the food items which were previously suppressed however remembered later. DiscussionThe current study presents the first evidence that negative affect and emotional eating were associated with impaired memory suppression of palatable food cues, and it provided insight into the interaction between reward valuation for the food cues and hippocampal memory mechanisms during retrieval suppression.

Implications of sleep quality and eating behavior in obesity prevention: A cross-sectional study in young adults.

AbstractIntroductionFood intake behavior is implicated in many chronic health issues, including obesity. Thus, understanding the underlying factors that affect food intake is important. Several studies have associated sleep restriction to increased dietary intake and poor food choices, which can be driven by hedonic mechanisms, specially food palatability. Given that people eat for different reasons other than stress, including boredom, anxiety, sadness or joy, our aim was to study the potential association between sleep quality and the cognitive-behavioral nature of food intake (eating behaviors, EB), as well as their impact on body mass index in a population of young adults.Materials and MethodsOne thousand twenty eight young adults (78% females; 21.4 ± 4.1years) were included in a cross-sectional study. The following questionnaires were used: Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality (scores &gt; 5 indicate poor sleep quality), the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire to assess the three dimensions of EB (emotional, uncontrolled and restraint eating) (Higher scores indicate higher EB). Additionally, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and the level of physical activity were evaluated. Statistical analysis were performed using SPSS v24, and adjusted for confounding variables.ResultsSixty one percent of the studied population had a poor sleep quality, whereas no significant associations were found between poor sleep quality, gender or age. Poor sleep quality was associated with uncontrolled (p &lt; 0.001) and emotional (p &lt; 0.001) eating, as well as with BMI (p &lt; 0.001). In addition, emotional eating was associated to BMI (p &lt; 0.001). Finally, linear regression model showed that BMI is associated with poor sleep quality (p &lt; 0.01) and emotional eating (p &lt; 0.001).DiscussionOur findings suggest that poor sleep quality is frequent among young adults. Furthermore, poor sleep quality is associated with higher emotional and uncontrolled eating, showing that poor sleep might be associated with a higher tendency to over eat when coping to emotionally negative emotions (sadness, anger, depression, anxiety), and a high tendency to lose control over food intake itself. Finally, the association between poor sleep quality and high emotional eating can have a negative impact over BMI, even in young adults. Hence, interventions designed to improve weight status would benefit from focusing on sleep quality in order to reduce emotional and uncontrolled eating.

Association between food insecurity and emotional eating in Latinos and the mediating role of perceived stress.

To examine the association between food insecurity and emotional eating (EE) in US Latinxs and explore the mediating role of perceived stress. Cross-sectional analysis. Food insecurity was measured with the six-item US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Scale; EE with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire R18-V2; and perceived stress with Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale-10. Covariates included age, sex, education, marital status, household size and country of birth. Mediation was tested using the Baron and Kenny method and the mediated proportion was calculated. Analyses included multivariable linear regression and multinomial logistic regression. A largely Latinx city in Massachusetts, USA. Participants were recruited from a community health centre serving a large portion of this Latinx community. Latinx individuals (n 580), aged 21-84 years. Overall, 34·4 % were food insecure and 33·8 % experienced High EE. Food insecurity was associated (adjusted OR; 95 % CI) with higher odds of High EE (1·96; 1·28, 3·02) but not Low EE (1·27; 0·82, 1·99). Food insecurity was associated (β; 95 % CI) with higher perceived stress (5·69; 4·20, 7·19). Perceived stress was associated (adjusted OR; 95 % CI) with High EE (1·09; 1·06, 1·12) but not Low EE (1·00; CI 0·97, 1·02). When perceived stress was added in the main effects model, food insecurity was no longer associated (OR; 95 % CI) with High EE (1·31; 0·83, 2·07) and explained 69·9 % of the association between food insecurity and High EE. The association between food insecurity and high EE among Latinxs may be largely mediated by perceived stress. Longitudinal studies are needed.

Role of appetitive phenotype trajectory groups on child body weight during a family-based treatment for children with overweight or obesity.

Objective:Emerging evidence suggests that individual appetitive traits may usefully explain patterns of weight loss in behavioral weight loss treatments for children. The objective of this study was to identify trajectories of child appetitive traits and the impact on child weight changes over time.Methods:Secondary data analyses of a randomized noninferiority trial conducted between 2011–2015 evaluated children’s appetitive traits and weight loss. Children with overweight and obesity (mean age=10.4; mean BMIz=2.0; 67% girls; 32% Hispanic) and their parent (mean age=42.9; mean BMI=31.9; 87% women; 31% Hispanic) participated in weight loss programs and completed assessments at baseline, 3-,6-,12- and 24 months. Repeated assessments of child appetitive traits, including satiety responsiveness, food responsiveness and emotional eating were used to identify parsimonious grouping of change trajectories. Linear mixed-effects models were used to identify the impact of group trajectory on child BMIz change over time.Results:One hundred fifty children and their parent enrolled in the study. The 3-group trajectory model was the most parsimonious and included a high satiety responsive group (HighSR; 47.4%), a high food responsive group (HighFR; 34.6%), and a high emotional eating group (HighEE; 18.0%). Children in all trajectories lost weight at approximately the same rate during treatment, however, only the HighSR group maintained their weight loss during follow-ups while the HighFR and HighEE groups regained weight (adjusted p-value <0.05).Conclusions:Distinct trajectories of child appetitive traits were associated with differential weight loss maintenance. Identified high-risk subgroups may suggest opportunities for targeted intervention and maintenance programs.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov Identifier:

Is comfort food actually comforting for emotional eaters? A (moderated) mediation analysis

An important but unreplicated earlier finding on comfort eating was that the association between food intake and immediate mood improvement appeared to be mediated by the palatability of the food, and that this effect was more pronounced for high than for low emotional eaters [26]. This has not yet been formally tested using mediation and moderated mediation analysis. We conducted these analyses using data from two experiments on non-obese female students (n = 29 and n = 74). Mood and eating satisfaction in Study 1, and mood, tastiness and emotional eating in Study 2 were all self-reported. In Study 1, using a sad mood induction procedure, emotional eaters ate more food, and when mood was assessed immediately after food intake, ‘eating satisfaction’ acted as mediator between food intake and mood improvement (decrease in sadness or increase in happiness). In Study 2, where we measured the difference in actual food intake after a control or a stress task (modified Trier Social Stress Test), and assessed mood during the food intake after stress, we found significant moderated mediation. As expected, there was a significant positive mediation effect of tastiness between food intake and mood improvement in the high emotional eaters, but also a significant negative mediation effect of tastiness between food intake and mood improvement in the low emotional eaters. This suggests that tastiness promotes ‘comfort’ from food in female emotional eaters, but conflicts in non-emotional eaters with a tendency to eat less when stressed. In conclusion, palatable food may indeed provide comfort specifically for high emotional eaters during eating.

Evaluating hours of sleep and perceived stress on dietary cognitive restraint in a survey of college students

Objective The objective of this study was to examine associations of sleep quality and quantity, food security, and physical activity with eating behaviors that may be associated with college weight gain. Participants: College students enrolled in multiple sections of a general education class completed an online survey in January 2016 (n = 153; 18–52 years of age). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Outcome variables included emotional eating (EE), uncontrolled eating (UE), and cognitive restraint (CR) as measured by The Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised. Bivariate analyses, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were completed with significance at p≤.05. Results: Higher EE was associated with higher stress levels and female sex (p <.001 and p=.02) and higher UE scores were associated with higher perceived stress (p<.001) while lower UE scores were associated with tobacco use (p=.03 regression, p=.098, bivariate). Higher CR was associated with higher parental education and use of relaxation methods. Higher CR also was associated with perceived stress, but this relationship differed depending upon freshmen status and amount of physical activity, and a relationship with sleep was observed that differed depending upon freshmen status. Conclusion: Interventions to help college students reduce stress and improve sleep may improve eating behaviors.