Food craving, dietary restraint and mood

A common assumption is that dieting causes food cravings, probably as a result of food energy deprivation. This issue was investigated in a two-phase study. In phase one, 206 women completed the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and a food craving scale. A correlational analysis showed food craving to be only weakly related to dietary restraint, but highly and significantly correlated with external eating, emotional eating and susceptibility to hunger. In phase two, ten women who regularly experienced food cravings and ten who rarely craved food kept prospective records of their food intake, daily mood and food craving episodes. There were few differences in eating behaviour, although the cravers tended to consume slightly more daily energy than the non-cravers. The cravers had higher ratings of boredom and anxiety during the day, and dysphoric mood was prominent prior to the cravings themselves. Food deprivation does not appear to be a necessary condition for food cravings to occur. Rather, food cravings are closely associated with mood, in particular as an antecedent to craving and also as a consequence of craving.     

Food cravings in food addiction: the distinct role of positive reinforcement

Craving for a particular substance is an essential characteristic of addictive behavior. Increasing evidence suggests that food cravings and excessive food consumption could similarly be due to addictive processes. Recently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was introduced for identifying individuals with addictive eating patterns. We conducted an online study (n=616, 75.8% female) in which participants filled out the YFAS and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). Participants diagnosed as being addicted to food using the YFAS had higher scores on all food craving subscales except for anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating. In a subsequent regression analysis, all food craving subscales positively predicted food addiction symptoms while positive reinforcement negatively predicted food addiction symptoms. Similar to other addictive behaviors, results indicate that individuals with addictive eating patterns experience more food cravings, but concurrently do not expect a positive reinforcement through eating.     

State and trait food craving in people with bulimic eating disorders

In two studies, we examined trait and state food craving levels in people with a bulimic disorder (BD) (bulimia nervosa and related disorders) and healthy controls (HC) using multidimensional self-report assessments. In study 1, trait food craving was assessed in 70 people with a BD and 69 HC using the Food Craving Questionnaire — Trait. Participants also completed the Eating Disorder Examination — Questionnaire (EDE-Q). In study 2, 45 people with a BD and 29 HC completed the Food Craving Questionnaire — State and the EDE-Q following exposure to visual and real high-caloric food cues. The results showed that both trait and state food cravings were significantly higher in people with a BD, compared to HC. Trait food craving was associated with eating disorder symptomatology in both the HC and BD groups. State food craving was associated with eating disorder psychopathology, but only in the BD group. This research underscores the importance of food craving in the study and conceptualization of BD.     

Dieting and food craving. A descriptive, quasi-prospective study

Evidence linking food restriction and food craving is equivocal. This study investigated whether dieting was associated with a greater frequency of food craving. Dieting to lose weight was distinguished from watching so as not to gain weight. Participants were 129 women (mean age=41 yrs): 52 were currently dieting to lose weight, 40 were watching their weight, and 37 were non-dieters. They completed a food craving record after every food craving, a food diary, and a daily mood assessment over 7-days. Of the 393 craving incidents recorded, dieters experienced significantly more food cravings than non-dieters, with watchers intermediate. Chocolate was the most craved food (37% of cravings) but neither the types of food, the proportion of cravings leading to eating (～70%), the situations in which cravings occurred, nor the time since the last eating episode differed between groups. Compared with non-dieters, dieters experienced stronger cravings that were more difficult to resist, and for foods they were restricting eating. Watchers showed similarities in experience both to dieters (low hunger) and non-dieters (lower craving intensity). These results support an association between dieting and food craving, the usefulness of distinguishing dieting to lose weight and watching, and suggest a need for further experimental investigation of actual food restriction on food craving experiences.     

The influence of restrained and external eating patterns on overeating

Eating in response to an increasingly obesogenic environment has been strongly implicated as a salient aspect of eating behaviour, arguably influenced by learning and experience. Interindividual differences in susceptibility to weight gain may be due, in part, to variability in response to environmental triggers. The phenomenon of food craving may also be an important factor influencing appetite control. The present study tested a model, in which food craving was hypothesised to be an intervening causal variable, on a causal pathway between responsivity to environmental cues and the development of obesity. One hundred and twenty four participants (aged 21-71 years, 83 females and 41 males) completed the study. Participants completed the Dutch eating behaviour questionnaire (DEBQ), measuring external eating (externality), emotional eating (emotionality) and restrained eating behaviour (restraint), and an adapted form of the food craving inventory (FCI), assessing cravings for carbohydrate, fats, sweets and fast food fats, in addition to total food cravings. Initial analysis showed positive correlations between FCI-tot and body mass index (BMI), FCI-fats and BMI and FCI-fast food fats and BMI in both men and women, and between FCI-carbohydrates and BMI in men only. Multiple regression analyses showed externality as the principal predictor of food craving, which was greater in males compared to females, but differential for different food groups between genders. Restrained eating and cravings for fats and fast food fats were negatively associated in women only. As predicted, total cravings, and cravings for fats and fast food foods mediated the positive association between external eating and BMI. It is concluded that appetitive response to external cues as an important risk factor in appetite control is mediated through cravings for particular food groups and is gender-dependent.     

Internal and external antecedents of binge eating episodes in a group of women with bulimia nervosa

OBJECTIVE: This research examined the internal and external factors that predict whether a food craving develops into a binge in bulimia nervosa. METHOD: Fifteen bulimic women kept diary records of food cravings over the course of a week, noting their internal state, environmental triggers, and whether the craving developed into a binge. Eighty cravings were examined, of which approximately one half developed into binges. RESULTS: At the bivariate level, binge eating resulted from cravings more often if the women were alone, in the morning, and following eating the craved food. These factors interacted, so that binges were more likely if the women avoided a craved food in the morning, but not later in the day. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support a model of binge eating for which both internal states (craving, eating the craved food) and external factors (time of day, social circumstances) need to be taken into account. Relevant models of craving are discussed, along with their implications for clinical practice.     

Eating disorder pathology and menstrual cycle fluctuations in eating variables in oral contraceptive users and non-users

Food intake and food cravings fluctuate across the menstrual cycle in women who are not using oral contraceptives (OCs), however less is known about cyclical variations in eating variables in women using OCs. Furthermore, few studies have examined the relationship between eating disorder pathology and menstrual cycle fluctuations in eating behaviors. In the present study, we examined self-report, retrospective ratings of food cravings intensity, hunger level, and amount eaten across the menstrual cycle in 67 non-OC users and across exogenous hormone regimens in 81 OC users. We also investigated the relationship between eating disorder pathology and cyclical fluctuations in eating variables. The results indicated that OC users and non-OC users report similar levels of food cravings and amount eaten across cycle phases, with food cravings and reported amount eaten elevated during the week prior to menses/hormone withdrawal bleeding and during the week of menses/hormone withdrawal bleeding. However, OC users reported elevated hunger during both the week prior to hormone withdrawal bleeding and during hormone withdrawal bleeding, whereas non-OC users reported an elevation in hunger level only during the week prior to menses. Fear of fatness and other eating disorder pathology variables were significantly associated with increases in food cravings, hunger level and reported amount eaten the week prior to menses in non-OC users, but not in OC users. These findings suggest that future studies should examine the potential role of menstrual cycle-related fluctuations in eating variables on the development of eating disorders.     

The food craving questionnaire-trait in a bariatric surgery seeking population and ability to predict post-surgery weight loss at six months

Food cravings have been understudied in bariatric surgery patients and the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait has not been validated in this population. Reliability and validity of the FCQ-T were examined and a regression analysis was run to determine whether or not preoperative scores on individual subscales of the instrument could predict weight loss at 6 months. The FCQ-T demonstrated excellent internal consistency in bariatric surgery-seeking patients, and individual subscales measuring emotion and mood were correlated with other measures of depression and anxiety. Endorsement of binge eating or emotional eating behaviors during a clinical interview was correlated with similar subscales on the FCQ-T. Higher scores on the subscale ‘cues that may trigger food cravings’ were associated with greater weight loss at 6 months post-surgery and higher scores on the subscale ‘guilt from cravings and/or giving into them’ was associated with less weight loss. Management of external cues may predict successful outcomes while emotional impact of cravings may indicate the need for further intervention to help manage specific food craving traits.     

Accepting or suppressing the desire to eat: Investigating the short-term effects of acceptance-based craving regulation

Previous studies addressing the long-term impact of acceptance of food cravings have revealed positive effects in terms of reduced craving experience. The present study investigated the short-term (direct) consequences of acceptance-based craving regulation. Hungry participants were exposed to desirable food and were either instructed to accept or suppress food cravings during exposure. Control participants did not regulate cravings and were allowed to eat from the food. Participants who accepted food cravings reported a significant increase in food craving during the course of the experiment. Participants who suppressed their cravings during exposure kept their craving levels constant. In contrast, control participants who were allowed to eat from the food, reported a significant drop in cravings. These findings suggest that although acceptance may entail an effective strategy for reducing food cravings in the long run, it may require repeated practice to overcome the immediate counterproductive effects.     

Women’s Experience and Understanding of Food Cravings in Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study in Women Receiving Prenatal Care at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

BackgroundAlthough the occurrence of food cravings during pregnancy is well established, there is a paucity of qualitative data on pregnant women’s perceptions of and responses to food cravings. This study sought to assess and describe pregnant women’s experiences and behaviors pertaining to food cravings.MethodsEight focus groups were conducted with 68 pregnant women in their second trimester from March 2015 to October 2016. Using a semistructured approach, the facilitator asked women open-ended questions regarding their experience of eating behaviors and food cravings. The content from the focus groups was analyzed using a bottom-up approach based on grounded theory and constant comparison analysis.ResultsParticipants described cravings as urgent, food-specific, and cognitively demanding occurrences that were differentiated from hunger. They described beliefs surrounding the physiological causes of cravings and rationales for satisfying their cravings. Strategies used to manage cravings included environmental modifications to limit proximity and availability of craved foods, cognitive and behavioral strategies like distraction, and acceptance through satisfying the craving. Participants described food cravings as a psychologically salient aspect of their pregnancy, reporting a variety of emotional precursors and reactions surrounding their cravings.ConclusionsA better understanding of food cravings may assist with the development of interventions to improve eating behaviors and reduce eating-related distress during pregnancy. Acceptance regarding food cravings was indicated as a way to diffuse pregnancy-related stress. These findings contribute to our understanding of psychological influences on eating behaviors in pregnant women.     

The phenomenology of food cravings: the role of mental imagery

The study aimed to investigate the role of mental imagery in the experience of food cravings. A sample of 130 undergraduate students was first asked to recall and rate a previous food craving experience. Second, they were asked to imagine themselves eating their favourite food and to rate the involvement of different sensory modalities. It was found that mental imagery was a key element in both the retrospective craving experience and the current food induction. In particular, craving intensity was related to the vividness of the food image (r = .46). The specific sensory modalities most involved were visual (39.7%) and gustatory (30.6%), followed by olfactory (15.8%). There was little involvement of auditory or tactile modalities. It was concluded that cognitive experimental techniques aimed at reducing the vividness of visual, gustatory or olfactory imagery, might usefully be deployed to reduce unwanted food cravings.     

Food cravings mediate the relationship between rigid, but not flexible control of eating behavior and dieting success

Both food cravings and rigid dietary control strategies have been implicated in low dieting success while flexible control often is associated with successful weight loss. An online survey was conducted (N = 616) to test the mediational role of food cravings between dietary control strategies and self-perceived dieting success. Food cravings fully mediated the inverse relationship between rigid control and dieting success. Contrarily, flexible control predicted dieting success independently of food cravings, which were negatively associated with dieting success. Differential mechanisms underlie the relationship between rigid and flexible control of eating behavior and dieting success.     

Comparison of acceptance-based and standard cognitive-based coping strategies for craving sweets in overweight and obese women

Existing strategies for coping with food cravings are of unknown efficacy and rely on principles that have been shown to have paradoxical effects. The present study evaluated novel, acceptance-based strategies for coping with craving by randomly assigning 48 overweight women to either an experimental psychological acceptance-oriented intervention or a standard cognitive reappraisal/distraction intervention. Participants were required to carry a box of sweets on their person for 72 h while abstaining from any consumption of sweets. Results suggested that the acceptance-based coping strategies resulted in lower cravings and reduced consumption, particularly for those who demonstrate greater susceptibility to the presence of food and report a tendency to engage in emotional eating.     

Food cravings, ethnicity and other factors related to eating out

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study factors related to eating patterns, specifically whether certain food cravings were associated with frequency of meals eaten away from home. METHODS: Data were collected from 277 patients from a family medicine residency office in Arizona. The survey questionnaire included information about the respondents' demographics, socioeconomic status, food cravings, as well as, number of meals eaten away from home. The food craving inventory included foods in four categories identified by factor analysis: fast foods, carbohydrates, sweets and snacks. Data on food cravings were factor analyzed and scale scores were derived. RESULTS: Being a Hispanic adult, working outside the home, and cravings for individual food items were related to eating more meals away from home. If the mother was working outside the home, the youngest child ate an average of two additional meals away from home each week. In general respondent's cravings for some specific food items were also related to higher numbers of meals their child ate away from home. Cravings for both fast food and snacks were positively correlated with adult eating out. None of the respondents' scale scores were related to child's eating away from home. Adults with Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System insurance (AHCCCS--a form of Medicaid) and older adults were less likely to eat away from home compared to patients with other types of insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and food cravings are related to adult and child patterns of eating meals away from home.     

Relationship of gender and eating disorder symptoms to reported cravings for food: construct validation of state and trait craving questionnaires in Spanish

Using confirmatory factor analysis, we cross-validated the factor structures of the Spanish versions of the State and Trait Food Cravings Questionnaires (FCQ-S and FCQ-T; ) in a sample of 304 Spanish college students. Controlling for eating disorder symptoms and food deprivation, scores on the FCQ-T were higher for women than for men, but no sex differences were observed on the FCQ-S. Eating disorder symptomatology was predictive of trait cravings, whereas food deprivation was predictive state cravings. Trait cravings, but not state cravings, were more strongly associated to symptoms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa than with other psychopathology. We suggest that cravings can be conceptualized as multidimensional motivational states and that our data support the hypothesis that food cravings are strongly associated with symptoms of bulimia nervosa.     

Replacing craving imagery with alternative pleasant imagery reduces craving intensity

Laboratory studies have shown that asking people to engage in imagery reduces the intensity of laboratory-induced food cravings. This study examined whether the intensity of naturally occurring cravings can be reduced by replacing the craving-related imagery with alternative, pleasant imagery. Participants were instructed to vividly imagine engaging in their favorite activity. They had to apply this imagery technique over a period of four days whenever they felt a craving arising and were asked to keep applying this technique until the craving passed. Compared to baseline, craving intensity and vividness of craving-related imagery were both significantly reduced. Vividness of craving-related imagery fully mediated the effect of the alternative imagery on craving intensity. No effects were found for control conditions in which participants (1) just formed the goal intention to reduce their cravings, (2) formed implementation intentions to reduce their cravings, and (3) engaged in a cognitive task (reciting the alphabet backwards). The findings suggest that vividly imagining a pleasant element can be an effective technique to curb cravings in everyday life.     

The phenomenology of food cravings

A craving for specific foods represents one of the most common and intense experiences surrounding eating. This paper explores the phenomenology of food craving by discussing the properties, origins and determinants of the craving state. The discussion includes consideration of the use of the craving concept in the drug literature and a review of the food craving literature. It is suggested that advances in the understanding of food cravings must address the problem of the definition and measurement of the craving state and proceed with recognition of the inadequacies of the ubiquitous assumption that cravings serve to identify and redress bodily needs.     

High-calorie food-cues impair working memory performance in high and low food cravers

The experience of food craving can lead to cognitive impairments. Experimentally induced chocolate craving exhausts cognitive resources and, therefore, impacts working memory, particularly in trait chocolate cravers. In the current study, we investigated the effects of exposure to food-cues on working memory task performance in a group with frequent and intense (high cravers, n=28) and less pronounced food cravings (low cravers, n=28). Participants performed an n-back task that contained either pictures of high-calorie sweets, high-calorie savory foods, or neutral objects. Current subjective food craving was assessed before and after the task. All participants showed slower reaction times and made more omission errors in response to food-cues, particularly savory foods. There were no differences in task performance between groups. State cravings did not differ between groups before the task, but increased more in high cravers compared to low cravers during the task. Results support findings about food cravings impairing visuo-spatial working memory performance independent of trait cravings. They further show that this influence is not restricted to chocolate, but also applies to high-calorie savory foods. Limiting working memory capacity may be especially crucial in persons who are more prone to high-calorie food-cues and experience such cravings habitually.     

Gender differences in the relation between food cravings and mood in an adult community: Results from the fleurbaix laventie ville santé study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this survey was to study food cravings and its indulgence in community adults (538 women and 506 men) and to compare nutritional parameters, weight preoccupations, and weight history between cravers and noncravers. METHOD: Cravers experienced a strong urge to eat specific foods more than once a week during the past 6 months. Food intake was estimated by a 3-day food record. RESULTS: 28% of women and 13% of men were food cravers. Cravers, especially women, were more frequently concerned about their weight than noncravers. Energy intake during snacks was higher in cravers. Less than 40% of cravers reported being hungry when they experienced cravings. Women cravers indulged their cravings as often as men. They reported more frequently negative feelings, whereas men reported more frequently positive feelings. DISCUSSION: This study shows that food craving episodes are strongly associated with mood but in a different way in women and men.