1
|
Ahlich E, Goldstein SP, Thomas JG. Characterizing emotional eating: Ecological momentary assessment with person-specific modeling. Appetite 2023; 183:106476. [PMID: 36720369 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Emotional eating is a topic of clinical importance, with links to weight regulation and wellness. However, issues of concept clarity and measurement can interfere with efforts to understand and intervene on emotional eating. One explanation for prior difficulties in defining emotional eating may be that this construct is not uniform across individuals. The current study critically examined emotional eating by combining ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with an idiographic analytic approach. The study examined the heterogeneity in the emotions and dysregulated eating behaviors often thought to underlie emotional eating, by establishing and comparing latent factor profiles across individuals. Ten community adults with overweight or obesity completed a 21-day EMA protocol, with 5 daily prompts to report on relevant emotions and eating behaviors. P-technique factor analysis was used to examine the data. Results suggested variability across individuals in the number of factors that emerged, the items that loaded on each factor, and the strength of loadings. Dysregulated eating was not found to covary with affective states strongly enough to produce a distinct "emotional eating" factor for any individual, nor did the correlations between factors suggest strong relationships between emotions and dysregulated eating for most participants, even in this sample with 90% of participants self-identifying as "emotional eaters." Findings are consistent with a growing body of literature questioning the validity of the "emotional eating" construct as currently defined and measured, and supports conceptualizing emotional eating as a locally heterogenous construct that varies between people. Combining EMA with an intra-individual modeling technique appears to be a promising approach for understanding emotional eating. Additional work with larger samples is needed to capture the full range in individual profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erica Ahlich
- Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA.
| | - Stephanie P Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital/Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - J Graham Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital/Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Heshmati S, DavyRomano E, Chow C, Doan SN, Reynolds KD. Negative emodiversity is associated with emotional eating in adolescents: An examination of emotion dynamics in daily life. J Adolesc 2023; 95:115-130. [PMID: 36217272 PMCID: PMC9855302 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emotional eating is a mental health concern, common in adolescents, that develops as a result of their tendency to use high-energy food to regulate their fluctuating emotions. Due to their highly fluctuating emotional life, adolescents tend to have unique within-person profiles of emotional experiences that change across moments and days, often lost in global assessments of emotions. Hence, it is imperative to examine individual differences in dynamics of emotions, as experienced in daily life, in relation to emotional eating in adolescents. METHODS In an Ecological Momentary Assessment study, we examined individual differences in three within-person dynamic characteristics (baseline levels, intraindividual variability, and emodiversity) of emotions in 158 dominantly Hispanic adolescents in the United States, aged 14-17 years old, predicting trait-level emotional eating. RESULTS Results indicated that higher negative emodiversity, baselines, and variability in stress were predictive of emotional eating in adolescents. When all considered together, negative emodiversity (i.e., variety of the types of negative emotions experienced in one's daily life) remained the only significant predictor of emotional eating. CONCLUSIONS This study affirms the importance of diversity in emotional experiences in relation to emotional eating, particularly in daily contexts of adolescents' lives. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between diversity (i.e., variety in types) in positive versus negative emotional experiences with regard to emotional eating. By taking into account the ecological validity of adolescents' daily lives and individual differences in dynamical changes in emotions, we are taking a step forward by shedding light on how the dynamics of negative emotions-in terms of within-person baselines, variability, and diversity-might be related to general levels of emotional eating in adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Stacey N. Doan
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College
| | - Kim D. Reynolds
- School of Community and Global Health, Claremont Graduate University
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
König LM, Van Emmenis M, Nurmi J, Kassavou A, Sutton S. Characteristics of smartphone-based dietary assessment tools: a systematic review. Health Psychol Rev 2022; 16:526-550. [PMID: 34875978 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2021.2016066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Smartphones have become popular in assessing eating behaviour in real-life and real-time. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of smartphone-based dietary assessment tools, focusing on how dietary data is assessed and its completeness ensured. Seven databases from behavioural, social and computer science were searched in March 2020. All observational, experimental or intervention studies and study protocols using a smartphone-based assessment tool for dietary intake were included if they reported data collected by adults and were published in English. Out of 21,722 records initially screened, 117 publications using 129 tools were included. Five core assessment features were identified: photo-based assessment (48.8% of tools), assessed serving/ portion sizes (48.8%), free-text descriptions of food intake (42.6%), food databases (30.2%), and classification systems (27.9%). On average, a tool used two features. The majority of studies did not implement any features to improve completeness of the records. This review provides a comprehensive overview and framework of smartphone-based dietary assessment tools to help researchers identify suitable assessment tools for their studies. Future research needs to address the potential impact of specific dietary assessment methods on data quality and participants' willingness to record their behaviour to ultimately improve the quality of smartphone-based dietary assessment for health research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M König
- Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Kulmbach, Germany.,Behavioural Science Group, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Miranda Van Emmenis
- Behavioural Science Group, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Johanna Nurmi
- Behavioural Science Group, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aikaterini Kassavou
- Behavioural Science Group, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen Sutton
- Behavioural Science Group, Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Klein KM, Fitzgerald EH, Forney KJ, Kennedy GA, Keel PK. Evaluating the role of negative affect and negative interpretation biases in emotional eating behavior. Int J Eat Disord 2022; 55:914-922. [PMID: 35652275 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study of emotional eating, or (over)eating in response to emotions, may inform transdiagnostic interventions for eating pathology. Prior work has focused on the role of negative affect in promoting emotional eating. The present study sought to extend this work through examining the role of cognitive biases. METHOD Women who self-reported (n = 50) and did not self-report (n = 40) emotional eating completed self-report questionnaires of negative affect and negative interpretation biases, an implicit measure of cognitive bias, and a behavioral assay of emotional eating involving an ad lib test meal following a stress induction task. RESULTS The emotional eating group endorsed elevated trait negative affect, explicit shame biases, and implicit negative biases compared to controls. In addition, state negative affect increased after the stress induction task, and the emotional eating group endorsed greater state negative affect before and after the task and consumed more food following the stress induction. Only explicit cognitive shame biases demonstrated significant indirect effects in the association between group and food consumption. Specifically, elevated explicit shame biases were positively associated with amount of food consumed for the emotional eating group. DISCUSSION Future research should examine whether interventions that target cognitive biases related to shame reduce emotional eating. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE Individuals with emotional eating consumed more food than controls following a stress induction. Explicit shame cognitive biases were positively associated with amount of food consumed for the emotional eating group. Shame cogntiive biases may be fruitful targets for reducing emotional eating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Harvard University Medical School, Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | - Pamela K Keel
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chang RS, Cerit H, Hye T, Durham EL, Aizley H, Boukezzi S, Haimovici F, Goldstein JM, Dillon DG, Pizzagalli DA, Holsen LM. Stress-induced alterations in HPA-axis reactivity and mesolimbic reward activation in individuals with emotional eating. Appetite 2022; 168:105707. [PMID: 34562531 PMCID: PMC8671188 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional eating has emerged as a contributing factor to overeating, potentially leading to obesity or disordered eating behaviors. However, the underlying biological mechanisms related to emotional eating remain unclear. The present study examined emotional, hormonal, and neural alterations elicited by an acute laboratory stressor in individuals with and without emotional eating. METHODS Emotional (n = 13) and non-emotional eaters (n = 15) completed two main study visits, one week apart: one visit included a Stress version and the other a No-stress version of the Maastricht Acute Stress Task (MAST). Immediately pre- and post-MAST, blood was drawn for serum cortisol and participants rated their anxiety level. After the MAST, participants completed a Food Incentive Delay (FID) task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), followed by an ad libitum snack period. RESULTS Emotional eaters exhibited elevated anxiety (p = 0.037) and cortisol (p = 0.001) in response to the Stress MAST. There were no changes in anxiety or cortisol among non-emotional eaters in response to the Stress MAST or in either group in response to the No-stress MAST. In response to the Stress MAST, emotional eaters exhibited reduced activation during anticipation of food reward in mesolimbic reward regions (caudate: p = 0.014, nucleus accumbens: p = 0.022, putamen: p = 0.013), compared to non-emotional eaters. Groups did not differ in snack consumption. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate disrupted neuroendocrine and neural responsivity to psychosocial stress amongst otherwise-healthy emotional eaters, who demonstrated hyperactive HPA-axis response coupled with hypoactivation in reward circuitry. Differential responsivity to stress may represent a risk factor in the development of maladaptive eating behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rose Seoyoung Chang
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Hilâl Cerit
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Taryn Hye
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - E. Leighton Durham
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Harlyn Aizley
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sarah Boukezzi
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Florina Haimovici
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Jill M. Goldstein
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA,Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Daniel G. Dillon
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, USA
| | - Diego A. Pizzagalli
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, USA,McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, USA
| | - Laura M. Holsen
- Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA,Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA,Corresponding author: Laura Holsen, Ph.D., Division of Women’s Health, 1620 Tremont St., BC-3, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02120,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chwyl C, Berry MP, Manasse SM, Forman EM. Rethinking emotional eating: Retrospective and momentary indices of emotional eating represent distinct constructs. Appetite 2021; 167:105604. [PMID: 34293393 PMCID: PMC8435005 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Emotional eating (EE) has been proposed as a key weight loss barrier. However, most investigations of EE rely on retrospective self-reports, which may have poor construct validity. This study evaluated concordance between a common self-report EE measure and a novel method for assessing momentary EE using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). We further assessed the utility of both measures for predicting both BMI and weight outcomes. Participants with overweight or obesity enrolled in a weight loss trial (N = 163) completed a self-report measure of EE and underwent an EMA protocol that assessed momentary emotions and eating behaviors. Momentary EE was derived from EMA data using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Linear regression models examined associations between both EE measures and concurrent BMI as well as weight losses over 30 months. Retrospectively self-reported EE and momentary EE were negatively correlated with one another (r = -0.27). Higher momentary EE and higher retrospectively reported EE both predicted higher concurrent BMI, and higher retrospectively reported EE predicted poorer weight loss outcomes at all time points (p < 0.05). By contrast, higher momentary EE predicted improved weight outcomes at 1-year and 2-year follow-up (p < 0.05). Our findings extend prior research suggesting that retrospective self-report EE measures capture a different construct than intended and suggest that momentary EE could predict improved weight loss outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Chwyl
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Michael P Berry
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Manasse
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Evan M Forman
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences (WELL Center), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Brake CA, Tipsword JM, Badour CL. Mental contamination, disgust, and other negative emotions among survivors of sexual trauma: Results from a daily monitoring study. J Anxiety Disord 2021; 84:102477. [PMID: 34627103 PMCID: PMC8599658 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mental contamination (MC)-feelings of dirtiness triggered by internal sources-is a potentially important yet understudied factor for survivors of sexual trauma. MC has been linked to disgust and other negative emotions (e.g., shame, guilt) cross-sectionally and in lab-based paradigms but not yet examined in ecological contexts. Additionally, links between MC and distinct negative emotions have not been studied systematically. The present study thus modeled relationships between MC and specific emotions both across and within days over a daily monitoring period. Forty-one females with sexual trauma history and associated MC completed twice-daily assessments of MC and seven emotions (disgust, shame, guilt, anger, hopelessness, sadness, anxiety) over 2 weeks via a smartphone app. Baseline MC and average daily MC were largely associated with higher daily averages of negative emotions. Concurrently, within-person changes in MC and negative emotions were also positively linked. Unexpectedly, intraindividual changes in MC were largely not associated with later negative emotions, whereas several emotions were negatively associated with later MC. Notably, MC among screened sexual trauma survivors was much more prevalent compared to prior research. Clinical relevance and future recommendations for ecological research in trauma-related mental contamination are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C. Alex Brake
- Brown University, Warren Alpert Medical School,Providence VA Medical Center
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kip A, Blom D, van der Weiden A. On the course of goal pursuit: The influence of goal progress on explicit judgments of self-agency. Conscious Cogn 2021; 96:103222. [PMID: 34687990 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The experience of causing our own actions and resulting outcomes (i.e., self-agency) is essential for the regulation of our actions during goal pursuit. In two experiments, participants indicated experienced self-agency over presented outcomes, which varied in distance to their goal in an agency-ambiguous task. In Study 1, progress was manipulated at trial level (i.e., stimuli moved randomly or sequentially towards the goal). In Study 2, progress was constant at trial level (sequential), but varied at task level (i.e., goal discrepancy of the outcomes was random or decreased over trials). Study 1 showed that self-agency gradually increased in the progress condition as unsuccessful outcomes were objectively closer to the goal, while self-agency increased exponentially upon full goal attainment in the absence of progress. The gradual pattern for the progress condition was replicated in Study 2. These studies indicate that explicit judgments of self-agency are more flexible when there is goal progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anneloes Kip
- Department of Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Demi Blom
- Department of Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anouk van der Weiden
- Department of Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Franja S, Wahl DR, Elliston KG, Ferguson SG. Comfort eating: An observational study of affect in the hours immediately before, and after, snacking. Br J Health Psychol 2021; 26:825-838. [PMID: 33398921 DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE 'Comfort eating' has been used to explain real-world food choices, suggesting that individuals are drawn to energy-dense ('unhealthy') snacks when experiencing negative affect. However, this concept has rarely been studied, particularly in real-world settings. Similarly, the effects of snacking on subsequent affect are also poorly understood. The present study aimed to examine the association between affect and snacking in daily life. METHODS One hundred and forty-one adults recorded their food intake in real time for ~14 days using a study issued mobile phone. Participants also responded to randomly timed assessments. During both types of assessments, participants indicated their current level of affect. By anchoring off snacking events, the trajectory of affect in the hours leading up to - and following - snacking was explored. RESULTS In the three hours leading up to a healthy snack, affect was stable. In contrast, affect fell during the hours leading up to an unhealthy snack. The interaction between snack type and time was significant. A similar, but opposite, pattern was seen following snacking: where affect decreased after unhealthy snacking, affect increased following healthy snack intake. CONCLUSION The findings are consistent with the hypothesis of comfort eating, with unhealthy snacking being preceded by worsening affect. Unhealthy snacking did not, however, lead to affect improvements afterwards, which questions the 'effectiveness' of comfort eating. The intake of healthy snacks however was associated with positive affective experiences. These findings could function as a component of interventions aiming at improving dietary behaviours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Franja
- College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Deborah R Wahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Katherine G Elliston
- College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Stuart G Ferguson
- College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Eating Style and the Frequency, Size and Timing of Eating Occasions: A cross-sectional analysis using 7-day weighed dietary records. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15133. [PMID: 31641145 PMCID: PMC6805948 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51534-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The tendencies to overeat in response to negative emotions (emotional eating) and environmental cues (external eating) have both been associated with BMI. However, it is unclear how they are expressed at the eating architecture level, for example, respecting frequency, timing and size of eating occasions, which could comprise 'downstream' specific behavioural intervention targets. In our analyses of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2000-2001, a 1-unit higher emotional eating score was associated with meals containing approximately 15 (3, 26) fewer kcals per occasion, consuming 1.4 (0.5, 2.3) more snacks per week and snacking over a 35- (16, 53) minute longer period a day. A 1-unit higher external eating score was associated with snacking over a 24- (1, 46) minute shorter period a day. Associations were independent of BMI and other potential confounders. The distinct pattern of eating architecture associated with emotional eating, suggests specific approaches to intervention, such as the number, timing and caloric content of snacks, could be considered further in experimental studies for their potential to prevent weight gain in people with a higher emotional eating tendency. Longitudinal studies and better measurement are also needed to strengthen causal inference in terms of the downstream effects of eating styles.
Collapse
|
11
|
Braden A, Emley E, Watford T, Anderson L, Musher-Eizenman D. Self-reported emotional eating is not related to greater food intake: results from two laboratory studies. Psychol Health 2019; 35:500-517. [DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.1649406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abby Braden
- Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | | | - Tanya Watford
- Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Roefs A, Boh B, Spanakis G, Nederkoorn C, Lemmens LHJM, Jansen A. Food craving in daily life: comparison of overweight and normal-weight participants with ecological momentary assessment. J Hum Nutr Diet 2019; 32:765-774. [PMID: 31430000 PMCID: PMC6899849 DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background The present study examined food cravings in daily life by comparing overweight and normal‐weight participants right before eating events and at non‐eating moments. It was hypothesised that overweight participants would have (i) more frequent, (ii) stronger and (iii) a greater variety of high‐caloric palatable food cravings, and also would (iv) consume more high‐caloric palatable foods, than normal‐weight participants. Methods Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to assess food craving strength and frequency, variety of specific food cravings, and food intake. Fifty‐seven overweight and 43 normal‐weight adult participants were assessed at eating events and at an average of eight random non‐eating moments per day for 2 weeks. Foods were categorised as: high‐caloric high palatable foods (HCHP), fruits and salads, staple food dishes and sandwiches, and soups and yoghurts. Results Overweight participants reported more frequent HCHP food cravings specifically at non‐eating moments than did normal‐weight participants. Normal‐weight participants reported more food cravings for staple foods, specifically at eating events. Moreover, overweight participants craved a greater variety of HCHP foods than normal‐weight participants at both eating events and random non‐eating moments. No other significant between‐group differences were found. Conclusions The results highlight the importance for obesity interventions (i) to specifically target high‐caloric palatable food cravings that are experienced during the day and are not tied to eating moments and (ii) to aim for a reduction in the variety of high‐caloric palatable food cravings. It might be fruitful to deliver treatment aimed at reducing cravings via mobile devices because this allows for easy individual tailoring and timing of interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Roefs
- Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - B Boh
- Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - G Spanakis
- Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - C Nederkoorn
- Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - L H J M Lemmens
- Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - A Jansen
- Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Legenbauer T, Radix AK, Augustat N, Schütt-Strömel S. Power of Cognition: How Dysfunctional Cognitions and Schemas Influence Eating Behavior in Daily Life Among Individuals With Eating Disorders. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2138. [PMID: 30483175 PMCID: PMC6243024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by marked cognitive distortions and maladaptive schemas. Cognitive models of EDs highlight the direct impact of cognitive dysfunctions on eating-related disturbances, insofar as specific cognitive contents such as thoughts about diet rules and food or loss of control may trigger disturbed eating behavior. Moreover, early maladaptive schemas that reflect perfectionist standards and relate to achievement and performance seem to be associated with disturbed eating, e.g., via their impact on situation-specific appraisals. However, so far, no study has investigated these assumptions. Hence, the present study sought to demonstrate whether and how cognitive content exerts an impact on eating behavior in daily life, and whether maladaptive core schemas impact the occurrence of binge eating via dysfunctional ED cognitions in eating-related contexts. N = 29 females with bulimia nervosa (BN), n = 31 females with binge eating disorder (BED) and n = 30 female controls without EDs (NC) participated in the study. All participants received a handheld computer for a 48-h period to capture antecedents of disturbed eating behavior in daily life. Event-sampling (meals, binge eating, purging, stressful situations) and signal-sampling (five times a day) methods were applied. EMA included a short questionnaire to assess dysfunctional cognitions and level of craving and to capture information about situational contexts. Early maladaptive schemas were assessed using a short version of the Young Schema Questionnaire at baseline. The main results showed specific patterns of dysfunctional eating-related cognitions for BED and BN. Binge eating was predicted by thoughts about loss of control (positively) and dietary restraint (negatively). For meal situations, no significant differences between the two ED groups emerged. All three domains exerted indirect effects on craving via thoughts about ‘eating/loss of control,’ whereas neither a direct nor an indirect effect emerged regarding thoughts about ‘dietary restraint.’ These results fit well with previous studies and support cognitive models of EDs; schema therapeutic approaches may be a valuable contribution to enhance treatment of EDs. Further studies should explore whether the findings from emerging adulthood can be generalized to younger age groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Legenbauer
- LWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hamm, Germany
| | - Anne Kathrin Radix
- LWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hamm, Germany
| | - Nick Augustat
- LWL University Hospital Hamm for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Hamm, Germany
| | - Sabine Schütt-Strömel
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wahl DR, Villinger K, König LM, Ziesemer K, Schupp HT, Renner B. Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17069. [PMID: 29213109 PMCID: PMC5719018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17262-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that “healthy” food choices such as eating fruits and vegetables have not only physical but also mental health benefits and might be a long-term investment in future well-being. This view contrasts with the belief that high-caloric foods taste better, make us happy, and alleviate a negative mood. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of food choice and well-being, we investigated in-the-moment eating happiness by assessing complete, real life dietary behaviour across eight days using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment. Three main findings emerged: First, of 14 different main food categories, vegetables consumption contributed the largest share to eating happiness measured across eight days. Second, sweets on average provided comparable induced eating happiness to “healthy” food choices such as fruits or vegetables. Third, dinner elicited comparable eating happiness to snacking. These findings are discussed within the “food as health” and “food as well-being” perspectives on eating behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deborah R Wahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | | | - Laura M König
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Katrin Ziesemer
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Harald T Schupp
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Britta Renner
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bongers P, Jansen A. Emotional Eating Is Not What You Think It Is and Emotional Eating Scales Do Not Measure What You Think They Measure. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1932. [PMID: 28008323 PMCID: PMC5143883 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In eating research, it is common practice to group people into different eater types, such as emotional, external and restrained eaters. This categorization is generally based on scores on self-report questionnaires. However, recent studies have started to raise questions about the validity of such questionnaires. In the realm of emotional eating, a considerable number of studies, both in the lab and in naturalistic settings, fail to demonstrate increased food intake in emotional situations in self-described emotional eaters. The current paper provides a review of experimental and naturalistic studies investigating the relationships between self-reported emotional eater status, mood, and food consumption. It is concluded that emotional eating scales lack predictive and discriminative validity; they cannot be assumed to measure accurately what they intend to measure, namely increased food intake in response to negative emotions. The review is followed by a discussion of alternative interpretations of emotional eating scores that have been suggested in the past few years, i.e., concerned eating, uncontrolled eating, a tendency to attribute overeating to negative affect, and cue-reactive eating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Bongers
- Eating Disorders and Obesity, Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Anita Jansen
- Eating Disorders and Obesity, Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|