Eating Behaviors (Eat Behav)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Unique Relationships between Facets of Mindfulness and Eating Pathology among Female Smokers

  Claire E Adams, Megan Apperson McVay, Jessica Kinsaul, Lindsay Benitez, Christine Vinci, Diana W Stewart, Amy L Copeland
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  ABSTRACT: Female smokers often have higher levels of eating disorder symptoms than non-smokers, and concerns about eating and weight might interfere with smoking cessation. Thus, it is critical to identify factors to promote healthier eating and body image in this population. Initial research suggests that specific aspects of trait mindfulness predict lower body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms among non-smokers. However, these relationships are unknown among smokers. The current study examined associations between facets of trait mindfulness and eating disorder symptoms in 112 college female smokers (83% Caucasian; mean age 20years, SD=1.69). After controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables, Describing and Nonjudging facets of mindfulness predicted lower bulimic symptoms and body dissatisfaction (ps<.05), while Acting with Awareness predicted lower bulimic and anorexic symptoms, ps<.05. Observing predicted higher anorexic symptoms, p<.05. These results suggest that specific mindfulness facets are related to lower eating disorder symptoms among smokers, whereas other facets are not associated or have a positive relationship with these symptoms. Mindfulness-based interventions focusing on Describing, Nonjudging, and Acting with Awareness may help to reduce eating pathology among female smokers, which could potentially improve smoking cessation rates in this population.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2013; 13:390-393.
• Article: Corrigendum to “Food cravings in food addiction: The distinct role of positive reinforcement” [Eat Behav 13 (3) (2012) 252–255]

  Adrian Meule, Andrea Kübler
  Eating Behaviors 01/2012; 13(4):433.
• Article: The onset and course of binge eating in 8- to 13-year-old healthy weight, overweight and obese children.

  Karina L Allen, Susan M Byrne, Michelle La Puma, Neil McLean, Elizabeth A Davis
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  ABSTRACT: This study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of binge eating and overeating in 8- to 13-year-old children; (2) identify factors that cross-sectionally predict binge eating and overeating; and (3) identify factors that prospectively predict onset of binge eating and overeating. Participants were 259 boys and girls who were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up, using a range of semi-structured interviews that included the Child Eating Disorder Examination. At baseline, 9% of children reported binge eating and 6% reported overeating. Obese children were most at risk for these behaviours. Dietary restraint and the tendency to use food to regulate emotions were significant in predicting binge eating onset prospectively, and eating concern was significant in predicting binge eating cross-sectionally. Results provide support for current cognitive-behavioural models of binge eating, and have implications for guiding binge eating prevention and intervention efforts with children.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):438-46.
• Article: Carbohydrate craving: a double-blind, placebo-controlled test of the self-medication hypothesis.

  Joyce A Corsica, Bonnie J Spring
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  ABSTRACT: Carbohydrate craving, the overwhelming desire to consume carbohydrate-rich foods in an attempt to improve mood, remains a scientifically controversial construct. We tested whether carbohydrate preference and mood enhancement could be demonstrated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled self-administration trial. Overweight females who met strict operational criteria for carbohydrate craving participated in two 3-day discrete choice trials over a 2-week period. Participants reported their mood before and at several time points after undergoing a dysphoric mood induction and ingesting, either a carbohydrate beverage or a taste and calorie-matched protein-rich balanced nutrient beverage. Every third testing day, participants were asked to self-administer the beverage they preferred based on its previous mood effect. Results showed that, when rendered mildly dysphoric, carbohydrate cravers chose the carbohydrate beverage significantly more often than the protein-rich beverage and reported that carbohydrate produced greater mood improvement. The carbohydrate beverage was perceived as being more palatable by the carbohydrate cravers, although not by independent taste testers who performed the pre-trial taste matching. This study, performed under rigorous study conditions, supports the existence of a carbohydrate craving syndrome in which carbohydrate self-administration improves mildly dysphoric mood.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):447-54.
• Article: Reduced perception of bodily signals in anorexia nervosa.

  Olga Pollatos, Anne-Lene Kurz, Jessica Albrecht, Tatjana Schreder, Anna Maria Kleemann, Veronika Schöpf, Rainer Kopietz, Martin Wiesmann, Rainer Schandry
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  ABSTRACT: Interoceptive awareness is known to be impaired in eating disorders. To date, it has remained unclear whether this variable is related to the construct of interoceptive sensitivity. Interoceptive sensitivity is considered to be an essential variable in emotional processes. The objective of the study was to elucidate this potential relationship and to clarify whether general interoceptive sensitivity is reduced in anorexia nervosa. Using a heartbeat perception task, interoceptive sensitivity was assessed in 28 female patients with anorexia nervosa and 28 matched healthy controls. Questionnaires assessing interoceptive awareness (EDI) and several other variables were also administered. Patients with anorexia nervosa displayed significantly decreased interoceptive sensitivity. They also had more difficulties in interoceptive awareness. In addition to a decreased ability to recognize certain visceral sensations related to hunger, there is a generally reduced capacity to accurately perceive bodily signals in anorexia nervosa. This highlights the potential importance of interoceptive sensitivity in the pathogenesis of eating disorders.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):381-8.
• Article: Family factors in the development of disordered eating: integrating dynamic and behavioral explanations.

  Annette S Kluck
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  ABSTRACT: Previous studies exploring the dynamic (e.g., enmeshment, disengagement, rigidity, communication difficulties, overprotectiveness) and behavioral (e.g., parental modeling of eating behavior and attitudes toward weight, parental criticism and teasing, parental encouragement to diet) influences of the family on disordered eating behaviors have yielded mixed results. However, past research explored these different aspects of the family environment in isolation. The present study extended previous research by testing a prediction model in which the effects of family dynamics on the development of eating disorders operate through family food-related experiences. A total of 268 single college women completed the Eating Attitudes Test - Revised, Bulimia Test - Revised, Parental Bonding Instrument - II, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales - II, Parent Adolescent Communication Scale - Adolescent Form, Family Influence Scale, and Family Experiences Related to Food Questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that both family dysfunction and negative family food-related experiences were associated with increased disordered eating. Results indicated that negative family food-related experiences mediated the relationship between family dysfunction and disordered eating. Discussion focuses on implications for the assessment and treatment of eating disorders.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):471-83.
• Article: Problematic eating behaviors in adolescents with low self-esteem and elevated depressive symptoms.

  Elizabeth A Courtney, Julie Gamboz, Jeffrey G Johnson
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  ABSTRACT: Previous research has indicated that low self-esteem may be an important risk factor for the development of eating disorders. Few longitudinal studies have examined the relationships between low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and eating disorders in adolescents. The present study investigated whether low self-esteem was associated with depressive symptoms and problematic eating behaviors. Measures of low self-esteem and problematic eating behaviors were administered to a sample of 197 adolescent primary-care patients. Depressive symptoms and problematic eating behaviors were assessed ten months later. Youths with low self-esteem were at greater risk for high levels of depressive symptoms and eating disorder symptoms. In addition, depressive symptoms mediated the association of low self-esteem with problematic eating behaviors.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):408-14.
• Article: Cognitive deficits and biases for food and body in bulimia: investigation using an affective shifting task.

  Olivia Mobbs, Martial Van der Linden, Mathieu d'Acremont, Alain Perroud
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  ABSTRACT: Studies suggest that attentional deficits and biases play a role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Many of these studies have methodological limitations and their results are difficult to interpret. In this study, we examine attentional deficits and biases in bulimia. 18 bulimic participants and 18 controls performed an adaptation of the go/no-go affective shifting task. That task allows the investigation of attention, inhibitory control and mental flexibility for stimuli related to the body and food. Bulimic participants tended to react faster than controls in the go/no-go affective task. They also had poorer discrimination ability than controls and showed inhibition problems, particularly when the targets were related to food. The magnitude of these effects ranged from moderate to large. No difference between groups was found concerning mental flexibility. These results suggest that bulimics present cognitive deficits and are more impulsive, especially with food-related stimuli. These cognitive deficits and biases may be at least partially responsible for the development and maintenance of bulimia.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):455-61.
• Article: Controlling feeding practices and psychopathology in a non-clinical sample of mothers and fathers.

  Emma Haycraft, Jackie Blissett
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  ABSTRACT: To explore the relationships between controlling feeding practices and a range of mental health symptoms while considering both parent and child gender. Mothers and fathers (N=214) of children aged 18-59 months completed self-report measures of their child feeding practices, eating psychopathology and general mental health symptomology. Feeding practices did not differ across any of the four parent-child gender dyads. Mothers' eating psychopathology scores were significantly higher than fathers' but parents did not significantly differ in the severity of their other mental health symptoms. Associations between disordered eating symptoms and controlling feeding practices were only seen in mothers of daughters and fathers of sons. In general, a range of mental health symptomologies in this non-clinical sample were related to more controlling feeding practices across all four dyads. Psychopathology was most strongly related to controlling feeding practices in parents of girls. Symptoms of psychopathology may be more likely to associate with controlling feeding practices in parents of daughters due to societal values for slimness in females.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):484-92.
• Article: The relationship between alcohol use, eating habits and weight change in college freshmen.

  Elizabeth E Lloyd-Richardson, Monica L Lucero, Julia R Dibello, Amanda E Jacobson, Rena R Wing
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  ABSTRACT: This study aims to improve understanding of how alcohol consumption in college freshmen affects eating patterns before, during, and after drinking, as well as its relation to body weight change. Two hundred eighty-two college freshmen (61% female; 59% Caucasian) completed measures of alcohol use, measured body mass index (BMI), and eating and activity habits before, during and following drinking episodes. Students were categorized by drinking status (non-drinker, low-risk, and moderate/high-risk) in order to explore group differences. Seventy-five percent of the sample reported past-month alcohol consumption, with 65% (N=134) of these categorized as "low-risk" drinkers and 35% (N=72) as "moderate-risk" drinkers. Moderate-risk drinkers were more likely than low-risk drinkers to report increases in appetite after drinking, with nearly half of students reporting overeating and making unhealthy food choices following drinking. Moderate-risk drinkers also demonstrated significant increases in 1st semester BMI change, relative to non-drinkers and low-risk drinkers. Eating patterns for a significant number of college students are altered before, during, and following drinking episodes, which related to change in freshman year BMI.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):504-8.
• Article: Evaluation of diagnostic criteria for night eating syndrome using item response theory analysis.

  Kelly C Allison, Scott G Engel, Ross D Crosby, Martina de Zwaan, John P O'Reardon, Stephen A Wonderlich, James E Mitchell, Delia Smith West, Thomas A Wadden, Albert J Stunkard
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  ABSTRACT: Uniform diagnostic criteria for the night eating syndrome (NES), a disorder characterized by a delay in the circadian pattern of eating, have not been established. Proposed criteria for NES were evaluated using item response theory (IRT) analysis. Six studies yielded 1,481 Night Eating Questionnaires which were coded to reflect the presence/absence of five night eating symptoms. Symptoms were evaluated based on the clinical usefulness of their diagnostic information and on the assumptions of IRT analysis (unidimensionality, monotonicity, local item independence, correct model specification), using a two parameter logistic (2PL) IRT model. Reports of (1) nocturnal eating and/or evening hyperphagia, (2) initial insomnia, and (3) night awakenings showed high precision in discriminating those with night eating problems, while morning anorexia and delayed morning meal provided little additional information. IRT is a useful tool for evaluating the diagnostic criteria of psychiatric disorders and can be used to evaluate potential diagnostic criteria of NES empirically. Behavioral factors were identified as useful discriminators of NES. Future work should also examine psychological factors in conjunction with those identified here.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):398-407.
• Article: Subclinical bulimia vs. depression in an interpersonal context.

  Abigail Matthews, Steven Jay Lynn
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):509-12.
• Article: Loss of control over eating is associated with eating disorder psychopathology in a community sample of Latinas.

  Katherine A Elder, Manuel Paris, Luis M Añez, Carlos M Grilo
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  ABSTRACT: This study examined the association between loss of control and eating disorder psychopathology in a community sample of women of Hispanic origin. Seventy-seven monolingual Spanish-speaking Latinas recruited from the community were administered the Spanish language version of the Eating Disorders Examination (S-EDE). Latinas who reported regular (at least once weekly) loss of control-through objective bulimic episodes (OBEs) and/or subjective bulimic episodes (SBEs)-were compared with Latinas who did not report regular loss of control. Latinas who reported LOC did not differ significantly from Latinas who denied LOC in age, current body mass index, or highest adult weight. Latinas who reported LOC had significantly more frequent weight cycling and significantly higher scores on all S-EDE subscales. The findings suggest that regular loss of control over eating-regardless of the amount of food consumed-may be a marker for the presence of eating disorder psychopathology.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):501-3.
• Article: Food cue-elicited brain potentials in obese and healthy-weight individuals.

  Ilse M T Nijs, Ingmar H A Franken, Peter Muris
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  ABSTRACT: The main objective of this study was to investigate, by means of event-related potentials (ERPs), whether obese individuals process food-related information differently as compared to normal-weight individuals. Because amplitudes of late positive ERP components (P3, LPP) reflect motivational tendencies, obese participants were expected to display enlarged P3 and LPP amplitudes towards food pictures. Obese and normal-weight adults were exposed to pictures of food and control items, while EEG was recorded. Subjective levels of food craving and hunger were also assessed. While there were no differences in ERP amplitudes between obese and normal-weight individuals, significantly larger P3 and LPP amplitudes were elicited by pictures of food items as compared to control pictures. Positive correlations were found between P3 and LPP amplitudes and self-reported increases of hunger. It was concluded that food-related information is processed differently in the brain as compared to non-food-related information, in a manner that reflects the natural motivational value of food. In the present study, there was no indication of an electrophysiological or subjective hyper-reactivity to food cues in obese adults.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):462-70.
• Article: Weight and weddings: expectations about wedding-specific body weight and shape ideals and dieting and exercise behavior among university students.

  Lori A Neighbors, Jeffery Sobal
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  ABSTRACT: Weddings are significant life events when brides and grooms often seek a culturally-defined ideal appearance. A cross-sectional survey of 275 unmarried university students assessed current weight and shape, general ideal weight and shape, desired wedding weight and shape, and expectations to diet and/or exercise when contemplating their future wedding. Results indicated that men and women conceptualize the size and scope of their wedding similarly, but wedding appearance (including weight) was more important among women than men. Few men and women idealized a wedding-specific weight and shape that differed from their general ideal weight and shape. When contemplating their future wedding day, expectations about engaging in weight control behaviors were more common among women, and exercise was preferred over dieting among both genders. These findings suggest that although weddings focus attention on body weight and shape, young adults do not have overly unrealistic body weight and shape expectations when contemplating their future wedding and generally do not construct a specific body weight and shape for their future wedding. These relationships may change as marriage becomes more salient.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):430-7.
• Article: Emotional face processing in women with high and low levels of eating disorder related symptoms.

  Lynne Jones, Catherine Harmer, Phil Cowen, Myra Cooper
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  ABSTRACT: Emotional processing has rarely been investigated in those "at risk" of developing an eating disorder. This study investigated the processing of six basic emotions depicted on faces in an "at risk" group, compared to a control group. Participants were women with high (N=29) and low (N=23) levels of eating disorder symptoms who were not taking psychotropic medication. A well characterised computerised task (Facial Expression Emotion Task) was administered to all participants. Women with high levels of eating disorder symptoms, compared to those with low levels, were less accurate at recognising happy and neutral faces, but showed no differences in their accuracy at recognising other emotions. They also showed a trend to be less good at discriminating anger, but better at discriminating surprise from other emotions. Depressive and anxious symptoms did not provide a complete explanation for the findings. The findings support the inclusion of emotional processing in models of eating disorders, and suggest that it may have a role in their development. Emotional processing warrants further investigation particularly in those "at risk" but also in those with eating disorders.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):389-97.
• Article: Agentic and communal personality traits: relations to disordered eating behavior, body shape concern, and depressive symptoms.

  Catherine E Mosher, Sharon Danoff-Burg
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  ABSTRACT: This study was designed to examine links between agentic and communal personality traits and disordered eating behavior and related problems (i.e., body shape concern and depressive symptoms) in a sample of 298 undergraduates. As predicted, unmitigated agency was positively associated with uncontrolled eating, and unmitigated communion was positively related to emotional eating and fasting for at least 24 h in order to control weight. When controlling for depressive symptomatology, unmitigated communion was no longer associated with emotional eating. Whereas unmitigated agentic and communal characteristics were positively associated with problematic eating patterns, agency was negatively associated with fasting and body shape concern. Findings suggest that further examination of the potential influence of gender-linked personality traits on disordered eating behavior is warranted.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):497-500.
• Article: Negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between weight-based teasing and binge eating in adolescent girls.

  Jessica L Suisman, Jennifer D Slane, S Alexandra Burt, Kelly L Klump
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  ABSTRACT: Previous research has established a link between weight-based teasing and binge eating, though the precise mechanisms that drive this relationship remain unknown. This study examined negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between weight-based teasing and binge eating. Participants included 265 adolescent female twins (aged 10-15 years). Self-report measures assessed binge eating, weight-based teasing, and negative affect. Mediation was tested within hierarchical linear models to control for the non-independence of the twin data. Significant positive associations were observed between binge eating, teasing, and negative affect. In the regression analyses, negative affect partially mediated associations between weight-based teasing and binge eating. Results suggest that increases in negative affect are one way in which weight-based teasing leads to binge eating in girls. Future studies should examine additional mediators and assess possible clinical applications of these findings.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):493-6.
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  Available from: fsu.edu

  Article: Examining body image discrepancies and perceived weight status in adult Japanese women.

  April R Smith, Thomas E Joiner
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  ABSTRACT: This study examined potential differences and similarities between attitudes about body shape and eating behaviors in Japan versus America. Discrepancies between various body ideals (e.g., own versus ideal; Japanese versus American) and perceived weight status were examined in a sample of adult Japanese women. Forty-five adult Japanese women rated various body ideals using the Stunkard Body Shape Questionnaire. They also answered questions about their perceived body weight and completed the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI-2). Participants rated the ideal body shape for Japanese women to be significantly thinner than for American women. Body image discrepancy predicted drive for thinness and bulimic symptoms as measured by the EDI-2. Furthermore, there was an interaction between perfectionism and perceived overweight status, such that among participants high on perceived weight status, perfectionism predicted greater bulimic symptomology. The relative importance of the internalization of the Western beauty ideal to the rise of eating disorders in Japan is discussed. Similarities between the findings of this study and studies conducted on American samples are highlighted, and areas for future research are proposed.
  Eating Behaviors 01/2009; 9(4):513-5.