Parent–Infant Attachment Insecurity and Emotional Eating in Adolescence: Mediation through Emotion Suppression and Alexithymia

Emotional eating (EE), the propensity to eat in response to emotions, is thought to have its origins in the early parent–infant relationship. This study tested the hypothesis that infant attachment insecurity results in EE in adolescence through the increased use of the emotion regulation strategy suppression of emotions and subsequent alexithymia. At the age of 15 months, parent–infant attachment security (n = 129) was observed with two abbreviated attachment measures: the shortened strange situation procedure (SSSP), and the shortened attachment Q-set (S-AQS). At the age of 12 years, children completed self-report questionnaires to assess the suppression of emotions, alexithymia, and EE. At the age of 16 years, EE was measured again. The mediation models indicated that lower parent–infant attachment security predicted increased use of suppression of emotions, which was related to increased alexithymia, and in turn more EE at the age of 12 years. These results were similar and significant for both attachment measures, and also (marginal) significant with EE at the age of 16 years as an outcome. Lastly, when parental caregiving quality was included, the models with the SSSP as predictor remained significant, but the models with the S-AQS became insignificant. These results indicated that to a certain extent, infant attachment security could predict adolescent EE above and beyond parental caregiving quality.     

Glycemic Carbohydrate and Body Weight Regulation

The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between glycemic carbohydrate and its effect on body weight regulation. By contrast to fat, carbohydrate has a positive impact on energy intake, energy expenditure, and body weight control. Despite some debate about the role of the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio in the diet and the prevalence of obesity, metabolic studies show that diets high in fat are more likely to result in body weight gain than diets high in carbohydrate. So far there are no indications that carbohydrate classes differ greatly with respect to energy expenditure and energy balance. However, the impact of carbohydrate source and class, as well as the form in which carbohydrate is consumed (i.e., solid or liquid) on body weight control requires further consideration.     

Long-term Effects of Early Malnutrition on Body Weight Regulation

Malnutrition is still highly prevalent in developing countries. Studies have shown an increase in the number of obese individuals in very poor urban communities. This review shows a co-existence between malnutrition and obesity in households of slums in Brazil and a higher prevalence of stunted/overweight or obese individuals (30%) in comparison with stunted/underweight (16%). These conditions are associated with important metabolic changes. Results from stunted children showed higher susceptibility to the effects of higher fats diets, lower fat oxidation, higher central fat, and higher body fat gain. A model to explain how early malnutrition alters energy balance in adults is outlined. In the presence of a relative food intake insufficiency, a higher cortisol:insulin ratio, associated with lower levels of IGF-1 will lead to lower muscle gain and linear growth, impaired lypolysis and fat oxidation. When these hormonal changes are combined with a higher fat/carbohydrate and/or marked decreased in physical activity, obesity with short stature will occur     

COVID-19-Related Stress and Anxiety,Body Mass Index,Eating Disorder Symptomatology,and Body Image in Women from Poland: A Cluster Analysis Approach

To limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many countries have introduced mandated lockdown or social distancing measures. Although these measures may be successful against COVID-19 transmission, the pandemic and attendant restrictions are a source of chronic and severe stress and anxiety which may contribute to the emergence or worsening of symptoms of eating disorders and the development of negative body image. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to: (1) classify different conditions associated with COVID-19-related stress, COVID-19-related anxiety, and weight status; and (2) analyze and compare the severity of dimensions typically related to eating disorders symptomatology and body image in individuals with different COVID-19-related stress, COVID-19-related anxiety, and weight status. Polish women (N = 671, M_age = 32.50 ± 11.38) completed measures of COVID-19-related stress and anxiety along with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia symptomatology subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory, and the appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, and body areas satisfaction subscales of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. The following four clusters were identified through cluster analysis: (a) Cluster 1 (N = 269), healthy body weight and low COVID-related stress (M = 3.06) and anxiety (M = 2.96); (b) Cluster 2 (N = 154), healthy body weight and high COVID-related stress (M = 5.43) and anxiety (M = 5.29); (c) Cluster 3 (N = 127), excess body weight and high COVID-related stress (M = 5.23) and anxiety (M = 5.35); (d) Cluster 4 (N = 121), excess body weight and low COVID-related stress (M = 2.69) and anxiety (M = 2.83). Our results showed that Clusters 3 and 4 had significantly greater body dissatisfaction and lower appearance evaluation and body areas satisfaction than Clusters 1 and 2. Cluster 3 also had a significantly higher level of drive for thinness, bulimia, and overweight preoccupation than Clusters 1 and 2. These preliminary findings may mean that the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant anxiety and stress caused by the pandemic are exacerbating symptoms of eating disorders and negative body image, with women with excess weight particularly at risk.     

Effects of Online and Face-to-Face Intuitive Eating Interventions on Body Image and Eating Behaviors among Women in China: A Feasibility Study

Body dissatisfaction and eating disorders have become major global concerns, including in Asian populations. Few studies have examined intervention effects on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in China, especially for interventions with positive psychological perspectives (e.g., intuitive eating). In this pilot study, 66 women participated in an eight-module intuitive eating intervention delivered online (n = 42; mean age, 30.74 years) and face-to-face (n = 24; mean age, 19.46 years) for 8 weeks. Measures of body image and eating behaviors were used to assess the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy. Linear mixed models were used to analyze the data. The intervention had significant effects on both groups, promoting positive body image and intuitive eating and reducing negative body image and disordered eating behaviors. The effects of the online and face-to-face interventions did not differ significantly. Thus, whether delivered online or face-to-face, an intuitive eating intervention may effectively improve Chinese women’s body image and eating behaviors. However, the efficacy of the intuitive intervention in the Chinese context should be confirmed in future studies with designs in randomized control trials.     

The Relationship between Restrained Eating,Body Image,and Dietary Intake among University Students in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to explore the association between restrained eating, body image, and dietary intake among Chinese college students. This cross-sectional study included 1301 college students at two universities in Hunan Province. Electronic questionnaires were used to collect information including students’ demographic characteristics, restrained eating, perception of body weight, body satisfaction, and dietary intake. Anthropometric measurements were collected to calculate body mass index (BMI). The prevalence of high restrained eating was 52.8%. Students who were dissatisfied with their bodies or overestimated their body weight showed a higher tendency toward high restrained eating (p < 0.05). Students with high restrained eating tended to eat fruits and eggs more frequently, while the frequency of eating domestic animals and poultry, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fast food were the opposite. Moreover, high restrained eating was a risk factor for low dietary diversity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.384, 95% confidence interval: 1.002~1.912). The high incidence of restrained eating among Chinese college students and its energy-restricted diets that may lead to possible health implications require attention. Further studies are needed to investigate the characteristics of college students’ restrained eating to tailor appropriate interventions for forming positive body images and promoting healthy eating behaviors, thus, improving dietary quality.     

Disordered Eating and Unhealthy Weight Reduction Practices among Adolescent Females

Background.Dissatisfaction with body weight and the use of unhealthy weight reduction practices have been reported among adolescent females. There is a need for methodologically rigorous studies using large representative samples of adolescent females to accurately assess the prevalence of these behaviors and attitudes.Methods.Eight hundred sixty-nine Australian school girls ages 14–16 years were administered a self-report questionnaire to determine the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors, unhealthy dieting practices, and distorted body image. Anthropometric (height and weight) data were collected on each of these adolescent females.Results.The prevalences of disordered eating, unhealthy dieting, and distorted body image were 33, 57, and 12%, respectively. Over one-third (36%) of the total sample had used at least one “extreme” dieting method in the past month, i.e., “crash” dieting, fasting, slimming tablets, diuretics, laxatives, and/or cigarettes to lose weight. Of the total sample, 77% wanted to lose weight and 51% had tried to lose weight in the past month. Motivating factors for disordered eating and unhealthy dieting behaviors were peer pressure, media pressure, and the perception that extreme dieting strategies were harmless.Conclusion.The prevalence of disordered eating and dieting behaviors among adolescent females shown by this study suggests the need for preventive programs encouraging appropriate eating and dieting behaviors.     

Feel Good,Eat Better: The Role of Self-Compassion and Body Esteem in Mothers’ Healthy Eating Behaviours

Mothers’ eating behaviours are important to ensure the health and well-being of themselves and their families. Recent research has pointed to self-compassion, defined as extending kindness to oneself in times of perceived inadequacy or general suffering, as a trait associated with healthy forms of eating, such as intuitive eating, and reduced maladaptive forms of eating, such as emotional eating. However, little is known about the psychological mechanism through which self-compassion relates to healthy eating behaviours. This study examined 100 mothers’ levels of self-compassion, body esteem and eating behaviours. Structural equation modelling revealed that self-compassion was positively associated with diet quality and intuitive eating, while being negatively associated with emotional eating. Moreover, these links occurred, in part, due to higher body esteem. This points to a mechanism through which self-compassion may positively contribute to mothers’ healthy eating behaviours. The implications for eating outcomes and women’s health are discussed.     

Emotional feeding as interpersonal emotion regulation: A developmental risk factor for binge-eating behaviors

Emotional feeding is an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy wherein people provide food to others as a means of influencing the recipient's emotional response. Parental emotional feeding has been linked to higher levels of emotional eating in children and adolescents using cross-sectional, retrospective, and prospective designs; however, there is little research on emotional feeding as a developmental risk factor for emotional eating and binge-eating behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. This Idea Worth Researching article explores the rationale for studying emotional feeding as a lifespan construct and its potential implications for understanding eating disorder pathology. Specifically, it offers suggestions for examining emotional feeding as a predictor of emotional eating and binge-eating behavior across the lifespan, assessing potential intergenerational transmission pathways, and researching similarities in feeding styles and emotional eating across a variety of relationships beyond the parent–child dyad.     

Body Mass and Emotional Eating: Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) in the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

Stress caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may lead to emotional eating which may have a negative impact on the weight status. This study aimed to analyze the association between emotional eating and body mass, as well as changes in body mass during the COVID-19 pandemic, within the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study. A total of 1126 Polish adolescents, aged 15–20, were included. A random quota sampling was performed within a national sample, and emotional eating was assessed using Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ). Based on the declared height and weight before and during the pandemic, the respondents were categorized according to their body mass (malnourished, normal weight, overweight, obese) and changes in body mass during the COVID-19 pandemic (lost weight, no body mass change, gained weight). Higher EEQ scores were achieved by female respondents compared with males (p < 0.0001), respondents who stated that they gained weight during the pandemic compared with those who stated either weight loss or no body mass change (p < 0.0001), and overweight and obese respondents compared with those who had normal weight and who were malnourished (p < 0.0001). A higher share of emotional eaters and very emotional eaters was found among female respondents, respondents stating weight gain during the pandemic, and overweight and obese respondents, compared with the other ones (p < 0.0001). Based on the findings, it may be concluded that among Polish adolescents gender, body mass, and body mass change during the COVID-19 pandemic are the major determinants of emotional eating behaviors and that female individuals, obese individuals, and those gaining weight are especially vulnerable to emotional eating behaviors. The results of the study suggest that the issue of emotional eating should be addressed in general public health policy and appropriate education should be provided to vulnerable groups such as female and obese adolescents.     

Eating Behaviour among University Students: Relationships with Age,Socioeconomic Status,Physical Activity,Body Mass Index,Waist-to-Height Ratio and Social Desirability

Eating behaviour is of particular interest for research focusing on body weight status. However, little is known about the relationships of certain factors, especially social desirability, with self-reported eating behaviour such as cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating among young adult males and females. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between eating behaviour and age, socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and social desirability among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 353 university students (59.2% females). Eating behaviour was assessed using the 13-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-13). SES and PA were determined using self-reporting, and the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale assessed social desirability. BMI and WHtR were calculated based on measured parameters. Associations between self-reported eating behaviour and other variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multivariate general linear models. Cognitive restraint was positively correlated with BMI and WHtR in both males (r = 0.174, P = 0.036 and r = 0.194, P = 0.020, respectively) and females (r = 0.239, P < 0.001 and r = 0.165, P = 0.017, respectively), and emotional eating was positively correlated with BMI among females (r = 0.184, P = 0.008). Social desirability was negatively correlated with uncontrolled eating (r = −0.287, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (r = −0.301, P < 0.001) among females. There were no significant correlations between eating behaviour and age or socioeconomic status (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that, among males, PA had a main effect on emotional eating (ηp² = 0.044, F = 6.276, P = 0.013). Among females, cognitive restraint was positively associated with PA (ηp² = 0.034, F = 7.127, P = 0.008) and BMI (ηp² = 0.038, F = 7.959, P = 0.005), and emotional eating with BMI (ηp² = 0.032, F = 6.638, P = 0.011). Social desirability had the highest main effect on eating behaviour among females, being negatively associated with uncontrolled eating (ηp² = 0.077, F = 16.754, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (ηp² = 0.082, F = 18.046, P < 0.001). This study showed that PA, BMI, WHtR, and social desirability were associated with self-reported eating behaviour among university students. Social desirability bias should be considered when evaluating uncontrolled eating and emotional eating among females.     

Body Dissatisfaction,Eating Styles,Weight-Related Behaviors,and Health among Young Women in the United States

Body dissatisfaction is a common condition that poses health behavior risks, such as the use of maladaptive eating styles instead of adaptive eating styles. Few studies have simultaneously examined both adaptive and maladaptive eating styles and their association with body dissatisfaction in a comprehensive manner. To address this gap, this study examined how body dissatisfaction is related to an array of adaptive and maladaptive eating styles, weight-related behaviors, and health status as well as the associations of health status, BMI, and weight-related behaviors with body dissatisfaction in 261 young adult women. Maladaptive eating styles, such as emotional eating, tended to rise in tandem with body dissatisfaction, differing significantly among body-dissatisfaction levels with medium to large effect sizes. For adaptive eating styles, as body dissatisfaction increased, compensatory restraint increased, intuitive eating declined, and mindful eating did not differ. Weight-related dietary, physical activity, and sleep behaviors did not differ by body dissatisfaction level. BMI increased and health status decreased as body dissatisfaction increased. Binary logistic regression revealed those who were body-dissatisfied had significantly lower health status, higher BMIs, and did not differ on weight-related behaviors. Study findings suggest strategies to improve health-promotion interventions aiming to increase body satisfaction.     

Body Image Perception and Attempts to Change Weight among Female Medical Students at Mangalore

Background:

Assessing body image self-perception has used BMI as an indicator of nutritional status. The visual analogue scale is a highly effective instrument for assessing people’s level of dissatisfaction with their body weight while evaluating the perceptual component of body image.

Objective:

By knowing body mass index of female medical students, to find out their pattern of body image perception and any attempts done to change their weight.

Materials and Methods:

All the students residing in MBBS ladies hostel were included in this study and a questionnaire regarding body image perception, diet, physical activity and attempts to change weight was instituted. Their responses were collected, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted.

Results:

Among 147 study subjects, according to BMI, 25(17%) were undernourished while 111(75.5%) and 11(7.5%) were normally nourished and overweight respectively. 35(23.8%) of the subjects felt they were lean, 95(64.6%) felt they were normal and 17(11.6%) felt they were overweight. Regarding image satisfaction, 98(66.7%) of them were satisfied with their image and out of 49 who were not satisfied 30 (20.4 %) wanted to reduce weight. Skipping meals was practiced by 42 (28.6%) of subjects.

Conclusion:

About 75.5% of the study group were having normal BMI. Most of them perceived their image correctly regarding to their weight. Most of the underweight and all overweight females were not satisfied. Underweight females preferred to gain weight and overweight females preferred to lose weight.     

Emotional Eating and Dietary Patterns: Reflecting Food Choices in People with and without Abdominal Obesity

Emotional eating (EE) is food consumption in response to feelings rather than hunger. EE is related to unhealthy food intake and abdominal obesity (AO). However, little evidence exists about the association between EE and dietary patterns (DPs) and EE–AO interaction related to DPs. DPs allow describing food combinations that people usually eat. We analyzed the association of EE with DPs in adults (≥18 years) with AO (WC ≥ 80/90 cm in women/men, respectively; n = 494; 66.8% women;) or without AO (n = 269; 74.2% women) in a cross-sectional study. Principal component analysis allowed identifying four DPs from 40 food groups (validated with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire). Among the subjects presenting AO, being “emotional/very-emotional eater” (emotional eating questionnaire) was negatively associated with the “Healthy” DP (fruits, vegetables, olive oil, oilseeds, legumes, fish, seafood) (OR:0.53; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.88, p = 0.013) and positively with the “Snacks and fast food” DP (sweet bread, breakfast cereal, corn, potato, desserts, sweets, sugar, fast food) (OR:1.88; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.03, p = 0.010). Emotional eaters with AO have significantly lower fiber intake, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B1, and vitamin C, while they had a higher intake of sodium, lipids, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and saturated fats. In non-AO participants, EE was not associated with any DP (p > 0.05). In conclusion, EE is associated with unhealthy DPs in subjects with AO.     

The Effect of Sorority Membership on Eating Disorders,Body Weight,and Disordered‐Eating Behaviors

Eating disorders are currently the deadliest mental disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 12%–25% of all college women. Previous research has found a positive correlation between sorority membership and eating disorders, but the causal link has not been firmly established. We contribute to the literature by investigating a possible causal link among sororities and diagnosed eating disorders, measurable weight outcomes, and disordered‐eating behaviors using data from the American College Health Association Survey. We handle the potential endogeneity of sorority membership using propensity score matching and instrumental variable methods to determine whether joining a sorority is a cause of the weight‐related outcomes we study. We find that sorority members exhibit worse weight‐related outcomes than those not in a sorority. However, our propensity score matching and instrumental variable results suggest that, other than BMI, this is merely a correlation, and there is little evidence that sorority membership is a cause of the outcomes we study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.