Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To test the hypotheses that induction of negative mood in obese binge eaters would increase food intake, and that this would be greatest in those who were highly restrained.
DESIGN: Experimental manipulation of mood (neutral vs sad film) prior to the presentation of food in a taste test.
PARTICIPANTS: A total of 40 obese female binge eaters (41.7 y, mean BMI=40.2 kg/m2).
MEASURES: Visual analogue assessment of mood and hunger motivation, dietary restraint (Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire), and food intake.
RESULTS: Exposure to the sad film resulted in a significant decrease in mood for both restrained and unrestrained participants. Those in the negative mood condition ate significantly more food, and the restrained eaters consumed the most. However, the expected restraint by mood interaction just failed to reach significance (P=0.06)
CONCLUSIONS: The salience of negative mood in promoting overeating was confirmed. Conversely, dietary restraint had no significant impact on food intake. Further experimental work on binge eating in this group would be of value in clarifying the role of dieting and informing treatment approaches.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC; 2000.
Grilo CM . Binge eating disorder. In: Fairburn CG, Brownell KD (eds) Eating disorders and obesity: a comprehensive handbook, 2nd edn. Guilford Press: New York; 2002. pp 178–182.
Yanovski SZ, Nelson JE, Dubbert BK, Spitzer RL . Association of binge eating disorder and psychiatric comorbidity in obese subjects. Am J Psychiatry; 1993; 150: 1472–1479.
Telch CF, Agras WS . Obesity, binge eating, and psychopathology: are they related? Int J Eat Disord; 1994; 15: 53–61.
Agras WS, Telch CF, Arnow B, Eldredge K et al. One-year follow-up of cognitive-behavioural therapy for obese individuals with binge eating disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol; 1997; 65: 343–347.
McManus F, Waller G . A functional analysis of binge eating. Clin Psychol Rev; 1995; 15: 845–865.
Abraham S, Beumont PJV . How patients describe bulimia or binge eating. Psychol Med; 1982; 12: 625–635.
Arnow B, Kenardy J, Agras WS . Binge eating among the obese: a descriptive study. J Behav Med; 1992; 15: 155–170.
Cooper PJ, Bowskill R . Dysphoric mood and overeating. Br J Clin Psychol; 1986; 25: 155–156.
Davis R, Freeman R, Solyom L . Mood and food: an analysis of bulimic episodes. J Psychiatric Res; 1985; 19: 331–335.
Davis R, Freeman RJ, Garner DM . A naturalistic investigation of eating behaviour in bulimia nervosa. J Consult Clin Psychol; 1988; 56: 273–279.
Johnson WG, Schlundt DG, Barclay DR, Carr-Nangle RE et al. A naturalistic functional analysis of binge eating. Behav Ther; 1995; 26: 101–118.
Waters A, Hill AJ, Waller G . Bulimics' responses to food cravings: is binge eating a product of hunger or emotional state? Behav Res Ther; 2001; 39: 877–886.
Telch CF, Agras WS . Do emotional states influence binge eating in the obese? Int J Eat Disord; 1996; 20: 271–279.
Baucom DH, Aiken PA . Effect of depressed mood on eating among obese and nonobese dieting and nondieting persons. J Pers Soc Psychol; 1981; 41: 577–585.
Frost RO, Goolkasian GA, Ely RJ, Blanchard FA . Depression, restraint and eating behaviour. Behav Res Ther; 1982; 20: 113–121.
Heatherton TF, Herman CP, Polivy J . Effects of physical threat and ego threat on eating behaviour. J Pers Soc Psychol; 1991; 60: 138–143.
Schotte DE, Cools J, McNally RJ . Film-induced negative affect triggers overeating in restrained eaters. J Abnorm Psychol; 1990; 99: 317–320.
Cools J, Schotte DE, McNally RJ . Emotional arousal and overeating in restrained eaters. J Abnorm Psychol; 1992; 101: 348–351.
Polivy J, Herman CP . Dieting and bingeing: a causal analysis. Am Psychol; 1985; 40: 193–201.
Womble LG, Williamson DA, Martin CK, Zucker NL, Thaw JM, Netemeyer R, Lovejoy JC, Greenway FL . Psychosocial variables associated with binge eating in obese males and females. Int J Eat Disord; 2001; 30: 217–221.
van Strien T, Frijters JER, Bergers GPA, Defares PB . The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behaviour. Int J Eat Disord; 1986; 5: 295–315.
Beck AT, Rush AJ, Shaw BF, Emery G . Cognitive therapy of depression: a treatment manual. Guilford Press: New York; 1979.
Rosenberg M . Society and the adolescent self image. Princetown University Press: Princetown; 1965.
Agras WS, Telch CF . The effects of caloric deprivation and negative affect on binge eating in obese binge-eating disordered women. Behav Ther; 1998; 29: 491–503.
Cooper MJ, Clark DM, Fairburn CG . An experimental study of the relationship between thought and eating behavior in bulimia nervosa. Behav Res Ther; 1993; 31: 749–757.
Howard CE, Porzelius LK . The role of dieting in binge eating disorder: etiology and treatment implications. Clin Psychol Rev; 1999; 19: 25–44.
Hibscher JA, Herman CP . Obesity, dieting, and the expression of ‘obese’ characteristics. J Comp Physiol Psychol; 1977; 91: 374–380.
Heatherton TF, Herman CP, Polivy J, King GA, McGree ST . The (mis)measurement of restraint: an analysis of conceptual and psychometric issues. J Abnorm Psychol; 1988; 97: 19–28.
Lowe MR . Dietary restraint and overeating. In: Fairburn CG, Brownell KD (eds) Eating disorders and obesity: a comprehensive handbook, 2nd edn. Guilford Press: New York; 2002. pp 88–92.
Stice E, Ozner S, Kees M . Relation of dietary restraint to bulimic symptomatology: the effects of the criterion confounding of the restraint scale. Behav Res Ther; 1997; 35: 145–152.
Stice E . Relations of restraint and negative affect to bulimic pathology: a longitudinal test of three competing models. Int J Eat Disord; 1998; 23: 243–260.
Abbott DW, de Zwaan M, Mussell MP, Raymond NC, Seim HC, Crow SJ, Crosby RD, Mitchell JE . Onset of binge eating and dieting in overweight women: implications for etiology, associated features and treatment. J Psychosom Res; 1998; 44: 367–374.
Acknowledgements
We thank Rosemary Richman and Dr Kate Steinbeck at the Metabolism and Obesity Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and Professor Ian Caterson from the Human Nutrition Unit, University of Sydney for their assistance in planning and the recruitment of participants.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chua, J., Touyz, S. & Hill, A. Negative mood-induced overeating in obese binge eaters: an experimental study. Int J Obes 28, 606–610 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802595
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802595
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Eating self-efficacy: validation of a new brief scale
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity (2021)
-
Psychosocial, Lifestyle, and Body Weight Impact of COVID-19-Related Lockdown in a Sample of Participants with Current or Past History of Obesity in Spain
Obesity Surgery (2021)
-
Emotion regulation strategies in bulimia nervosa: an experimental investigation of mindfulness, self-compassion, and cognitive restructuring
Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation (2020)
-
Effects of Mindfulness on Negative Affect, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating Urges
Mindfulness (2019)
-
Emotional Eating and Weight in Adults: a Review
Current Psychology (2018)