Relationship of Eating Behaviors with Age, Anthropometric Measurements, and Body Composition Parameters among Professional Indian Women

Eating behavior and dietary practices are associated with age, sex, body mass index, and body fat in individuals with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension in Brazil

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, and obesity are major contributors to global mortality. This study aimed to evaluate eating behavior and dietary practices among individuals with T2DM and/or hypertension, examining their associations with sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics. We hypothesized that these factors may contribute to body mass index (BMI) and body fat (BF) levels in these individuals. In a cross-sectional study, adults/older individuals diagnosed with T2DM and/or hypertension were included. Eating behavior was evaluated via Three-factor Eating Questionnaire-R21. Dietary practices were assessed using the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP) questionnaire. Poisson regression examined associations between eating behaviors, dietary practices, and sociodemographic factors. Linear regressions were employed to analyze relationships between eating behavior, dietary practices, BMI, and BF. The study included 275 primarily female (70.5%) participants under 60 years old (54.2%). Male and older participants had a lower prevalence of high scores in the 'emotional eating' (EE; PR: 0.40 [0.25;0.63]) and 'uncontrolled eating' (UE; PR: 0.68 [0.50;0.92]) domains. In contrast, older patients had a higher prevalence of adherence to the DGBP recommendations (PR:1.53 [1.20;1.94]). A positive association was observed between high EE (β:3.71 [1.98;5.44]) and UE (β:2.85 [1.15;4.55]) scores and BMI, whereas higher dietary practice scores (β:-2.19 [-3.88;-0.50]) were negatively associated with BMI. High EE (β:2.20 [0.38;4.02]) and UE (β:1.92 [0.17;3.67]) scores were positively associated with BF regardless of the confounding factors included. Higher scores on the dietary practices were inversely associated with BF (β:-1.94 [-3.67;-0.21]). Understanding dietary behaviors and practices can facilitate a more comprehensive and effective treatment approach.

Emotional and intuitive eating: an emerging approach to eating behaviours related to obesity

Emotional and intuitive eating are associated with obesity. In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between intuitive eating and emotional eating behaviours in adults with anthropometric measurements of obesity-related disease risk and gender. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist, hip and neck circumferences were taken. Emotional Eater Questionnaire and Intuitive Eating Scale-2 were used for the assessment of eating behaviour. A total of 3742 adult individuals (56⋅8 % (n 2125) female and (n 1617) male) were participated voluntarily. The total score and subscales of EEQ were higher in females than males (P < 0⋅001). The scores of the IES-2 subscales and the total score were higher in males than females (P < 0⋅05). In metabolic risk classification according to waist and neck circumference, EEQ scale scores (except type of food) were higher in the metabolic risk group, while IES-2 (except body-food congruence in neck circumference) scores were higher in the non-risk group (P < 0⋅05). While there was a positive correlation between EEQ and body weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-height ratio, a negative correlation was found between age and waist-hip ratio. There was a negative correlation between IES-2 and body weight, BMI, waist-height ratio, waist-hip ratio. In addition, a negative correlation was found between IES-2 and EEQ. Intuitive eating and emotional eating differ by gender. Anthropometric measures and metabolic disease risk is associated with emotional eating and intuitive eating. Interventions to increase intuitive and decreasing emotional eating behaviour can be effective in preventing both obesity and obesity-related diseases.

Actigraphy-Derived Sleep Is Associated with Eating Behavior Characteristics

Poor sleep is a determinant of obesity, with overconsumption of energy contributing to this relationship. Eating behavior characteristics are predictive of energy intake and weight change and may underlie observed associations of sleep with weight status and obesity risk factors. However, relationships between sleep and dimensions of eating behavior, as well as possible individual differences in these relations, are not well characterized. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether sleep behaviors, including duration, timing, quality, and regularity relate to dietary restraint, disinhibition, and tendency towards hunger and to explore whether these associations differ by sex. This cross-sectional study included 179 adults aged 20–73 years (68.7% women, 64.8% with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²). Sleep was evaluated by accelerometry over 2 weeks. Eating behavior dimensions were measured with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Prolonged wake after sleep onset (WASO) (0.029 ± 0.011, p = 0.007), greater sleep fragmentation index (0.074 ± 0.036, p = 0.041), and lower sleep efficiency (−0.133 ± 0.051, p = 0.010) were associated with higher dietary restraint. However, higher restraint attenuated associations of higher WASO and sleep fragmentation with higher BMI (p-interactions < 0.10). In terms of individual differences, sex influenced associations of sleep quality measures with tendency towards hunger (p-interactions < 0.10). Stratified analyses showed that, in men only, higher sleep fragmentation index, longer sleep onset latency, and lower sleep efficiency were associated with greater tendency towards hunger (β = 0.115 ± 0.037, p = 0.003, β = 0.169 ± 0.072, p = 0.023, β = −0.150 ± 0.055, p = 0.009, respectively). Results of this analysis suggest that the association of poor sleep on food intake could be exacerbated in those with eating behavior traits that predispose to overeating, and this sleep-eating behavior relation may be sex-dependent. Strategies to counter overconsumption in the context of poor quality sleep should be evaluated in light of eating behavior traits.

Cognitive Restraint and History of Dieting Are Negatively Associated with Organic Food Consumption in a Large Population-Based Sample of Organic Food Consumers

Organic food consumption has risen in many countries during the past decades, but individual motives leading to these choices remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between cognitive restraint (CR), history of dieting and organic food intake. This cross-sectional analysis included 20,085 organic food consumers from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. CR (range score 1-4) was evaluated by the Three-Factor-Eating-Questionnaire and practice of dieting (never vs. past/current) was assessed by an ad hoc questionnaire. Frequencies of organic food intake overall and in 16 food groups were assessed by the Organic Food Frequency Questionnaire. Linear regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to investigate the association between CR score, history of dieting and contribution of organic food intake to the total food intake. A lower overall contribution of organic options in the diet was observed in women with higher levels of CR (β = -3.61%, 95% CI: -4.32; -2.91 for 1 point of CR, p < 0.001) and with a history of dieting (31.1 ± 0.4% in past/current vs. 32.6 ± 0.3% in never dieters; p = 0.001). Consistent associations were observed in men with a history of dieting (26.4 ± 0.8% in past/current vs. 28.7 ± 0.4% in never dieters; p = 0.012). Overall, individuals-in particular women-with higher CR scores or with a history of dieting selected fewer organic food options. Our findings illustrate the complexity of potentially concurrent motives to food choices, in a context of increasing interest in organic food consumption.

Relation between cognitive restraint and weight: Does a content validity problem lead to a wrong axis of care?

The aim of this research is to examine the relation between weight and cognitive restraint (CR), which is the intention to control food intake in order to maintain or lose weight, in a general French population sample. Is CR more prevalent in individuals with obesity than overweight, underweight or normal-weight subjects in this cross-sectional study? Are people affected by obesity non-restrained eaters? A total of 507 French people (80.2% women and 19.8% men), aged 18-78 years, responded to an online questionnaire. It appears that the most used questionnaire measuring CR has content validity problems as it seems to measure effective control and not the intention. Therefore, a numeric scale was used to answer the questions. Even if it is not possible in this study to test a causal link with latent variable modelling, our results seem to show that people with obesity more frequently intend to eat less or to eat healthier and/or to eat less sugar and fat than other people in order to control their weight. However, people affected by obesity do not succeed in so doing. These results raise the question of treatments advocating the increase of self-control. Finally, it would be necessary to obtain a real, scientific consensus on what CR is and on how to measure it in order to study the most effective treatments for people with overweight or obesity.

The Cognitive, Behavioral, and Emotional Aspects of Eating Habits and Association With Impulsivity, Chronotype, Anxiety, and Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objectives: Understanding behavioral issues associated with eating would provide important insight into obesity development and possibly procure ways to prevent its occurrence or to treat it. This study's objectives were to examine links between cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspects of eating habits and chronotype, impulsivity, anxiety, and depression among university students.

Subjects and methods: The following questionnaires were used: TFEQ-R 18, UPPS-short, HADS, and MEQ. All participants gave their informed written consent prior to enrolment.

Results: Among females, increased BMI was associated to uncontrolled eating and emotional eating, while in males, BMI was associated to emotional eating only. In males, no associations of BMI with impulsivity were found while in females they were present. Chronotype scores were positively correlated to cognitive restraint and negatively to uncontrolled eating among males. No associations were found for females. CR was lower among females with higher depression scores, while higher anxiety scores were associated to UE among males.

Conclusions: This was a cross-sectional study of three cognitive and emotional domains related to eating habits among university students (young adults). Results showed significant correlations between BMI, TFEQ-R18 scores, impulsivity and anxiety or depression. Future studies should replicate findings in samples of individuals with different aspects of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder, food addiction or bulimia nervosa.