Effects of Emotional Eating and Short Sleep Duration on Weight Gain in Female Employees

Associations of menopausal status and eating behaviour with subjective measures of sleep

Eating and sleeping behaviour are known to interact with each other, yet research is limited in the context of menopausal women. The aim of this study was to examine whether menopausal status is associated with perceived problems in sleeping. Furthermore, we studied different aspects of eating behaviour as potential risk factors for poor sleep in menopausal women. The present study is exploratory in nature, thus the results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. We analysed the sleeping and eating behaviour of 1098 women aged 47-55 years and represented different menopausal statuses with regression analyses. Over 20% of them reported fairly poor or poor perceived sleep quality. A higher number of postmenopausal women reported experiencing at least fairly poor sleep quality compared with the other menopausal groups. However, in regression models controlled for several confounding factors menopausal status was not associated with measures of sleep. Women who reported more snacking-type eating behaviour were more likely to report shorter sleep duration, and more daytime tiredness. Externally cued eating was associated with shorter sleep duration and emotional eating was associated with experiencing daytime tiredness. However, after adjusting for multiple testing, it appears that eating behaviour is associated only with daytime tiredness. Menopausal women with sleeping problems may benefit from nutritional interventions targeting eating behaviour.

Are Emotional Eating and Other Eating Behaviors the Missing Link in the Relationship between Inadequate Sleep and Obesity? A Systematic Review

Evidence is emerging to explain that the relationship between inadequate sleep and obesity could be influenced by emotional eating and other eating behaviors such as disinhibition. Therefore, our aim was to conduct a systematic review to analyze the potential role of emotional eating and other eating behaviors in the relationship between inadequate sleep and obesity. We conducted a comprehensive search on 2 databases (Medline and Scopus) looking for records from 1 January 2011 until 31 December 2022 without language restrictions. Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional studies were included if they assessed the association between sleep and emotional eating, as well as the role of emotional eating on the relationship between inadequate sleep and obesity. Secondary outcomes included studies analyzing the link between sleep and other eating behaviors as well as their role in the sleep-obesity relationship. Our results showed that emotional eating and disinhibition play a significant role in the relationship between inadequate sleep and obesity, especially in women. Furthermore, we provide evidence of other eating behaviors (e.g., external eating, eating competence, and hunger), which are also associated with poor sleep outcomes. However, these behaviors do not seem to be determinants of the association between sleep and obesity. In conclusion, our results suggest that individuals with inadequate sleep who are prone to emotional eating and/or disinhibition may require tailored approaches for obesity prevention and treatment.

Association between poor sleep quality and emotional eating in US Latinx adults and the mediating role of negative emotions

INTRODUCTION

Poor sleep quality is associated with negative emotions and may modulate emotional eating (EE). However, this has not been studied among US Latinx adults, a group experiencing sleep disparities.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between sleep quality and EE in Latinx adults and explore the mediating role of negative emotions.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Latino Health and Well-being Study. Sleep quality was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. EE was measured with the EE subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire R18-V2 (categorized as no EE, low EE, and high EE). Negative emotions were measured via a composite score that included depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. Poisson regression models with robust variance errors estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Mediation was evaluated with the Karlsson-Holm-Breen method.

RESULTS

More individuals with poor (vs. good) sleep quality experienced high EE (39.1% vs. 17.9%). Individuals with poor (vs. good) sleep quality were more likely to experience high EE vs. no EE (total effect = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.34, 2.26). Controlling for negative emotions, the effect of poor sleep on high EE was reduced to 1.23 (95% CI = 0.92, 1.65), leaving an indirect effect of 1.41 (95% CI = 1.25, 1.60); 62.6% of the effect was explained by negative emotions.

CONCLUSION

Poor sleep quality was associated with high EE in US Latinx adults and negative emotions partially mediated this relationship. Longitudinal studies are needed. Interventions and clinical programs should concomitantly address sleep quality and negative emotions to help prevent dysfunctional eating behaviors.

Association Between Emotional Eating, Sociodemographic Characteristics, Physical Activity, Sleep Duration, and Mental and Physical Health in Young Adults

BACKGROUND

Emotional eating (EmE) is one of the most common eating behaviors maladaptive among young adults, however, in the Peruvian context, it remains unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine the association between negative EmE, sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, sleep duration, and mental and physical health in young adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 400 young Peruvian adults living in three regions of Peru (coast, jungle, and highlands). An online survey was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, sleep duration, depressive symptoms, anxiety, hypertension, and negative EmE. In addition, self-reported anthropometric data were collected to calculate body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Approximately 55.8% of women presented negative EmE. Logistic regression analysis revealed that participants aged 30-39 years were less likely to have negative EmE in both female and male gender, OR; 0.24, 95% CI; 0.08-0.66, p<0.01 and OR; 0.40, 95% CI; 0.16-0.97, p<0.05, respectively. Perform physical activity 3 to 4 times 5.22 (95% CI: 1.31-20.78), 1 to 2 times a week 5.77 (95% CI: 1.91-17.44), and never 15.18 (95% CI: 3.90-59.00) were associated with negative EmE. Moreover, sleeping less than 7 hours per day (OR; 2.26, 95% CI; 1.04-4.90), depressive symptoms (OR = 6.29, 95% CI: 1.27-31.19), anxiety (OR = 14.13, 95% CI: 2.46-80. 97, p<0.01), hypertension (OR = 7.58, 95% CI: 1.24-46.17), and BMI ≥25 (overweight/obese) (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.66-3.41) were associated with negative EmE.

CONCLUSION

The findings show that there is an association between negative EmE, sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, sleep duration, and mental and physical health in young adults.

Evaluation of nutritional behaviour related to COVID-19

Objective:

It is known that social isolation process has an impact on individuals’ eating behaviours. Continuing nutritional behaviour resulting from emotional eating, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restriction may turn into eating disorders in the future. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible effects of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social isolation process on individuals’ nutritional behaviours and body weight changes.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Nutritional behaviours of the participants before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the social isolation process were evaluated with the Three Factor Nutrition Questionnaire. The changes in individuals’ body weight during this period were also evaluated.

Participants:

A total of 1036 volunteer individuals (827 women, 209 men) aged 18 years and over participated in the study.

Results:

During the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation process, there was an increase in emotional eating and uncontrolled eating behaviours of individuals, but no significant change in cognitive restriction behaviour occurred (P = <0·00; P = <0·00 and P = 0·53, respectively). It was reported that the body weight of 35 % of the individuals who participated in the study increased during this period.

Conclusion:

Social isolation process practiced as a result of COVID-19 pandemic may lead to changes in some nutritional behaviours. Some precautions should be taken to prevent this situation that occurs in nutritional behaviours from causing negative health problems in the future.

Anxiety and eating behaviors: Mediating effect of ethnic identity and acculturation stress

Immigration changes the daily dynamics of migrant individuals and communities, as individuals confront new cultures and environments, including new foods and eating styles. Consequent influences on eating behaviors comprise an individual's actions in feeding themself that are conditioned by biological, social, cultural, and psychological factors. Mental health indicators such as anxiety and stress reflect negative impacts of acculturation on migrants' health, but ethnic identity is potentially protective. However, the relationship between these mental health indicators and immigrant populations' eating behaviors have not been addressed. Our objective was to analyze the mediating effects of acculturation stress and ethnic identity on the relationship between anxiety and three dimensions of eating behaviors in Colombian migrants living in Chile. A total of 959 Colombian immigrants participated. Ethnic identity only partially mediated the effect of emotional eating. The other two dimensions had direct effects but no mediating effects. Conversely, acculturation stress and emotional eating partially mediated restrained eating while external intake had a direct effect but no mediation. Anxiety had significant direct effects with all the dimensions analyzed. Ethnic identity score related to a protective effect between anxiety and emotional eating. Stress of acculturation, conversely, was a risk factor in the relationship between anxiety, emotional eating, and restrained eating.

Emotional eating and obesity in adults: the role of depression, sleep and genes

Stress and other negative emotions, such as depression and anxiety, can lead to both decreased and increased food intake. The term 'emotional eating' has been widely used to refer to the latter response: a tendency to eat in response to negative emotions with the chosen foods being primarily energy-dense and palatable ones. Emotional eating can be caused by various mechanisms, such as using eating to cope with negative emotions or confusing internal states of hunger and satiety with physiological changes related to emotions. An increasing number of prospective studies have shown that emotional eating predicts subsequent weight gain in adults. This review discusses particularly three lines of research on emotional eating and obesity in adults. First, studies implying that emotional eating may be one behavioural mechanism linking depression and development of obesity. Secondly, studies highlighting the relevance of night sleep duration by showing that adults with a combination of shorter sleep and higher emotional eating may be especially vulnerable to weight gain. Thirdly, an emerging literature suggesting that genes may influence body weight partly through emotional eating and other eating behaviour dimensions. The review concludes by discussing what kind of implications these three avenues of research offer for obesity prevention and treatment interventions.

Sleeping Time, BMI, and Body Fat in Chinese Freshmen and Their Interrelation

INTRODUCTION

In the past two decades, urbanization in many Asian countries has led to sedentary lifestyle and overnutrition, which has set the stage for the epidemic of obesity. Those who have obesity during adolescence usually have obesity into adulthood, which causes many medical and psychological issues that can result in premature death. Recent data suggest that short sleep duration may contribute to the risk of obesity, opening a new avenue for potential intervention. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of sleeping time, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass in Chinese freshmen and to indicate the relationship among them.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study consisting of 1,938 freshmen aged from 18 to 24 years, including 684 (35.3%) men and 1,254 (64.7%) women. BMI, sleeping time, and other potential related variables were collected by questionnaire. Obesity and overweight were defined as BMI ≥28.0 and ≥24.0, respectively. All students were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of body fat percentage (Fat%), which were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sleeping time was divided into 3 categories based on the duration, <6, 6-8, and >8 h per day.

RESULTS

Participants who slept longer had lower BMI and Fat%. Sex, diet control, and maternal obesity were all significantly associated with BMI or Fat% after adjustment. There were significant differences between sleeping time <6 and >8 h in both overweight group and Fat% tertiles independent of adjustment used. The significant difference between sleeping time 6-8 and >8 h only existed in overweight group, while irrelevant relation was observed in both models of obesity group.

CONCLUSION

Longer sleeping time was associated with a lower BMI in Chinese freshmen, even after adjustment for multiple confounders. The overweight stage is a critical period of weight management intervention by changing sleeping time. If adolescents have entered the obesity stage, the effect size of lifestyle intervention might be significantly limited.

Depression, emotional eating and long-term weight changes: a population-based prospective study

Background

Emotional eating (i.e. eating in response to negative emotions) has been suggested to be one mechanism linking depression and subsequent development of obesity. However, studies have rarely examined this mediation effect in a prospective setting and its dependence on other factors linked to stress and its management. We used a population-based prospective cohort of adults and aimed to examine 1) whether emotional eating mediated the associations between depression and 7-year change in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), and 2) whether gender, age, night sleep duration or physical activity moderated these associations.

Methods

Participants were Finnish 25- to 74-year-olds who attended the DILGOM study at baseline in 2007 and follow-up in 2014. At baseline (n = 5024), height, weight and WC were measured in a health examination. At follow-up (n = 3735), height, weight and WC were based on measured or self-reported information. Depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale), emotional eating (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18), physical activity and night sleep duration were self-reported. Age- and gender-adjusted structural equation models with full information maximum likelihood estimator were used in the analyses.

Results

Depression and emotional eating were positively associated and they both predicted higher 7-year increase in BMI (R² = 0.048) and WC (R² = 0.045). The effects of depression on change in BMI and WC were mediated by emotional eating. Night sleep duration moderated the associations of emotional eating, while age moderated the associations of depression. More specifically, emotional eating predicted higher BMI (P = 0.007 for the interaction) and WC (P = 0.026, respectively) gain in shorter sleepers (7 h or less), but not in longer sleepers (9 h or more). Depression predicted higher BMI (P < 0.001 for the interaction) and WC (P = 0.065, respectively) increase in younger participants, but not in older participants.

Conclusions

Our findings offer support for the hypothesis that emotional eating is one behavioural mechanism between depression and development of obesity and abdominal obesity. Moreover, adults with a combination of shorter night sleep duration and higher emotional eating may be particularly vulnerable to weight gain. Future research should examine the clinical significance of our observations by tailoring weight management programs according to these characteristics.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12966-019-0791-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Association with the Quality of Sleep and the Mediating Role of Eating on Self-Esteem in Healthcare Personnel

In recent decades, organizational research has paid special attention to the mechanisms promoting the health and well-being of nursing professionals. In this context, self-esteem is a personal resource associated with well-being at work and the psychological well-being of nurses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating role of eating on the relationship between sleep quality and self-esteem in nursing professionals. A sample of 1073 nurses was administered the Rosenberg General Self-Esteem Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-18). The results show that poor sleep quality and type of eating directly and indirectly affect self-esteem. Poor sleep quality lowered self-esteem through emotional eating and, even though emotional eating facilitated uncontrolled eating, this relationship had no significant effect on self-esteem. The findings of this study suggest that hospital management should implement employee health awareness programs on the importance of healthy sleep and design educational interventions for improving diet quality.

Causes of Emotional Eating and Matched Treatment of Obesity

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Eating in response to negative emotions (EE) may be an explanatory factor of the weight regain of many dieters. This narrative review presents evidence on possible causes of EE and the association of EE with depression and obesity and discusses implications of these findings for the treatment of obesity.

RECENT FINDINGS

Possible causes of EE are high dietary restraint, poor interoceptive awareness, alexithymia, emotion dysregulation and a reversed hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) stress axis. EE may be the outcome of inadequate parenting or depressive feelings in interaction with genetic susceptibility. There is also robust evidence that EE is a mediator between depression and obesity. The association of EE with depression and poor emotion regulation skills suggests that the treatment of obese people with high EE should not focus on calorie-restricted diets but on emotion regulation skills. The DEBQ (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire) enables such a matched treatment of obesity.

Sleep Duration and Obesity in Adults: What Are the Connections?

Collectively, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on self-reported sleep duration and obesity do not show a clear pattern of association with some showing a negative linear relationship, some showing a U-shaped relationship, and some showing no relationship. Associations between sleep duration and obesity seem stronger in younger adults. Cross-sectional studies using objectively measured sleep duration (actigraphy or polysomnography (PSG)) also show this mixed pattern whereas all longitudinal studies to date using actigraphy or PSG have failed to show a relationship with obesity/weight gain. It is still too early and a too easy solution to suggest that changing the sleep duration will cure the obesity epidemic. Given novel results on emotional stress and poor sleep as mediating factors in the relationship between sleep duration and obesity, detection and management of these should become the target of future clinical efforts as well as future research.