Youth's energy intake during a laboratory-based loss-of-control eating paradigm: Associations with reported current dieting

Dieting is theorized as a risk factor for loss-of-control (LOC)-eating (i.e., feeling a sense of lack of control while eating). Support for this association has largely relied on retrospective self-report data, which does not always correlate with objectively assessed eating behavior in youth. We hypothesized that during a laboratory-based LOC-eating paradigm, children and adolescents who reported current (at the time of the visit) dieting would consume meals consistent with LOC-eating (greater caloric intake, and intake of carbohydrates and fats, but less intake of protein). Participants were presented with a buffet-style meal and instructed to "Let yourself go and eat as much as you want." Current dieting (i.e., any deliberate change to the amount or type of food eaten to influence shape or weight, regardless of how effective the changes are) was assessed via interview. General linear models were adjusted for fat mass (%), lean mass (kg), height, sex, protocol, race and ethnicity, pre-meal hunger and minutes since consumption of a breakfast shake. Of 337 participants (Mage 12.8 ± 2.7y; 62.3 % female; 45.7 % non- Hispanic White and 26.1 % non-Hispanic Black; MBMIz 0.78 ± 1.11), only 33 (9.8 %) reported current dieting. Current dieting was not significantly associated with total energy intake (F = 1.63, p = .20, ηp2 = 0.005), or intake from carbohydrates (F = 2.45, p = .12, ηp2 = 0.007), fat (F = 2.65, p = .10, ηp2 = 0.008), or protein (F = 0.39, p = .53, ηp2 = 0.001). Contrary to theories that dieting promotes LOC-eating, current dieting was not associated with youth's eating behavior in a laboratory setting. Experimental approaches for investigating dieting are needed to test theories that implicate dieting in pediatric LOC-eating.

Loss of Control Over Eating Scale (LOCES): Validation in undergraduate men and women with and without eating disorder symptoms

The present study aimed to further validate the Loss of Control Over Eating Scale (LOCES) for use with undergraduate men and women with and without eating disorder (ED) symptoms. A total of 261 participants completed the LOCES and the Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were identified as non-clinical or having probable ED symptomatology based on previously used EDE-Q cutoff scores. Results indicated that the LOCES and its subscales were significantly associated with and a significant predictor of global ED pathology and binge episode frequency. The LOCES behavioral subscale appeared to be a stronger predictor of episode frequency compared to other subscales. The ED pathology groups reported significantly higher LOCES scores compared to the non-ED pathology groups. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that the LOCES was able to accurately distinguish between those with ED pathology and those without ED pathology in the majority of cases. Findings from the present study suggest that the LOCES is highly predictive of ED pathology, strongly associated with ED cognitions and behaviors, and an accurate index for global eating disorder pathology. Future directions for research are discussed.

Real-time assessment of heart rate variability and loss of control eating in adolescent girls: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Studying physiologic underpinnings of loss-of-control (LOC) eating may inform its etiology and contribute to intervention efforts. We therefore examined temporal relationships between autonomic indices [heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV)] and LOC-eating in the natural environment.

METHOD

For two days, adolescents (n = 17, 14.77 ± 1.55 years, BMI-Z 2.17 ± 0.48) with LOC-eating reported on LOC using an electronic device while HR and HRV were assessed continuously using Holter monitoring.

RESULTS

Higher HR and lower HRV in the 30-minutes before eating were significantly associated with LOC-eating overall (p's < 0.001) and at the within-participants level (p's < 0.001), but not at the between-participants level (p's > 0.44). Examined categorically, HR was significantly higher, and HRV significantly lower, prior to high-LOC compared to low-LOC episodes (p's < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

This pilot study suggests that LOC-eating may involve physiologic underpinnings. Additional research with larger samples is needed to further investigate this phenomenon.