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AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of physical activity on cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in individuals with a psychotic disorder. METHODS: Twenty-seven participants with a psychotic disorder (55% male; mean age: 30 ± 7.5 years; Caucasian: 66.7%; schizophrenia spectrum disorders: 44.4%; bipolar disorder with psychotic features: 29.6%) took part in a 6-month bi-weekly physical activity program (walking, running, yoga, cycling and dancing). The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire was used to assess participant's eating behaviours, and the frequency of completed physical activity sessions was compiled. RESULTS: The mixed models analysis approach revealed that the level of cognitive restraint remained unchanged (pre: 39.2 ± 18.7 vs. post: 44.1 ± 18.3; p = 0.24), while the levels of uncontrolled eating (pre: 39.7 ± 19 vs. post: 31.6 ± 19.7; p = 0.02) and emotional eating (pre: 45.5 ± 22.3 vs. post: 32.2 ± 22.2; p < 0.001) decreased at the end of the 6-month physical activity program. DISCUSSION: This study showed that physical activity has positive effects on disordered eating behaviours in individuals with a psychotic disorder, similarly to previous studies on other populations (e.g., overweight and obese participants, postmenopausal women). CONCLUSION: Further studies are warranted to better understand the role of physical activity in moderating eating behaviours.

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AIMS: Excessive weight gain has led to increased obesity and mortality risk among college students. Issues with maintaining a healthy weight may be attributed to poor internal awareness and unhealthy eating behaviors. The study's purpose was to determine the longitudinal effects among interoception, self-regulation, nonpurposeful eating behaviors, and weight status (BMI) among college women. METHODS: Data from 103 females were collected via Qualtrics over 3 timepoints (T1, T2, T3) during an academic semester. Repeated measures ANOVA and cross-lagged model analyses were used. Significant changes were found in interoceptive responsiveness, external, and uncontrolled eating throughout 3 timepoints. RESULTS: Longitudinally, significant causal effects were found among the study measures. Among all models, higher interoceptive responsiveness (T1) predicted increased self-regulation (T2). Higher non-purposeful eating behaviors (T1) predicted reduced self-regulation (T2). Higher BMI (T1) predicted reduced non-purposeful eating behaviors (T2), however higher BMI (T2) predicted increased non-purposeful eating (T3) and reduced interoceptive responsiveness (T3). Significant causal effects were found within each non-purposeful eating behavior models. CONCLUSION: Overall, the research study provided foundational evidence of the importance of self-regulatory skills to help prevent unhealthy eating behaviors and increased weight status in college women. Future interventions educating college women to become more internally aware and better self-regulate are needed.

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Previous studies suggest that trait disinhibition as measured by the Three Factor eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) is related to selected measures of impulsivity and risk taking. However, the factor validity of the original trait disinhibition measure has been questioned, and a revised scale of uncontrolled eating consequently developed. To date few studies have revisited the relationship between impulsivity and the uncontrolled and emotional eating scales of the revised TFEQ. In the present study, 283 participants (208 women) completed the revised TFEQ alongside a battery of measures of impulsivity and risk taking in an online study. The total and all subscale scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale were significantly associated with scores on the uncontrolled, but not emotional or restrained, TFEQ scale. Likewise, risky behaviour indexed by the average number of pumps per trial on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task were also associated with uncontrolled, but not emotional or restrained, eating, and the same pattern of associations were also found for the novelty, but not intensity, subscales of the Arnetts Inventory of Sensation Seeking. Overall these data suggest that uncontrolled eating is related to wider personality traits of risky decision making, novelty seeking and wider cognitive impulsivity, which may in turn increase of future weight gain.

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OBJECTIVE: Reward-based eating drives are putative mechanisms of uncontrolled eating implicated in obesity and disordered eating (e.g., binge eating). Uncovering the genetic and environmental contributions to reward-related eating, and their genetic correlation with BMI, could shed light on key mechanisms underlying eating and weight-related disorders. METHOD: We conducted a classical twin study to examine how much variance in uncontrolled eating phenotypes and body mass index (BMI) was explained by genetic factors, and the extent that these phenotypes shared common genetic factors. 353 monozygotic twins and 128 dizygotic twins completed the Reward-based Eating Drive 13 scale, which measures three distinct uncontrolled eating phenotypes (loss of control over eating, preoccupation with thoughts about food, and lack of satiety), and a demographic questionnaire which included height and weight for BMI calculation. We estimated additive genetic (A), common environmental (C), and unique environmental (E) factors for each phenotype, as well as their genetic correlations, with a multivariate ACE model. A common pathway model also estimated whether genetic variance in the uncontrolled eating phenotypes was better explained by a common latent uncontrolled eating factor. RESULTS: There were moderate genetic correlations between uncontrolled eating phenotypes and BMI (.26-.41). Variance from the uncontrolled eating phenotypes was also best explained by a common latent uncontrolled eating factor that was explained by additive genetic factors (52%). DISCUSSION: These results suggest that uncontrolled eating phenotypes are heritable traits that also share genetic variance with BMI. This has implications for understanding the cognitive mechanisms that underpin obesity and disordered eating. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Our study clarifies the degree to which uncontrolled eating phenotypes and BMI are influenced by shared genetics and shows that vulnerability to uncontrolled eating traits is impacted by common genetic factors.

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BACKGROUND: The Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-Revised 18 (TFEQ-R-18) is an extensively used questionnaire to measure three transdiagnostic features of eating behavior: cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the TFEQ-R-18 in three large community samples. METHOD: Cross-sectional research designs were employed. In Study 1 (N = 537), an exploratory graph analysis (EGA) was used to examine item clustering within the TFEQ-R-18. In Study 2 (N = 645), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test its structural validity. In Study 3 (N = 346), a MANOVA was employed assessing mean differences across eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder). RESULTS: In Study 1, the EGA accurately identified the three original dimensions of the TFEQ-R-18. Study 2 showed that the Italian TFEQ-R-18 has good fit indexes (CFI = 0.989, RMSEA = 0.064; 90% CI [0.058, 0.070], SRMR = 0.062), and possesses robust psychometric properties. Study 3 reveals distinct, statistically significant differences among eating disorders. CONCLUSION: The TFEQ-R-18 proves to be a concise and precise tool for measuring transdiagnostic eating behaviors. Its applicability in the Italian context, supported by robust psychometric properties, suggests its utility for both research and clinical purposes. The findings affirm its potential to inform interventions aimed at enhancing psychological health. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive study.

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OBJECTIVE: Nonresponsive parental feeding practices are associated with poorer appetite self-regulation in children. It is unknown whether this relationship extends beyond childhood to be prospectively associated with the onset of eating disorder (ED) symptoms in adolescence. This exploratory study therefore investigated prospective associations between early childhood parental feeding practices and adolescent ED symptoms and disordered eating behaviors. METHODS: Data were from two population-based cohorts with harmonized measures: Generation R (Netherlands; n = 4900) and Gemini (UK; n = 2094). Parents self-reported their pressure to eat, restriction and instrumental feeding (i.e., using food as a reward) at child age 4-5 years. Adolescents self-reported their compensatory behaviors (e.g., fasting, purging), binge-eating symptoms, restrained eating, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating at 12-14 years. Associations between feeding practices and ED symptoms were examined separately in each cohort using generalized linear models. RESULTS: In Gemini, pressure to eat in early childhood was associated with adolescents engaging in compensatory behaviors. In Generation R, parental restriction was associated with adolescents engaging in compensatory behaviors, restrained eating, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Instrumental feeding was associated with uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in Generation R. DISCUSSION: Nonresponsive parental feeding practices were associated with a greater frequency of specific ED symptoms and disordered eating in adolescence, although effect sizes were small and findings were inconsistent between cohorts. Potentially, the cultural and developmental context in which child-parent feeding interactions occur is important for ED symptoms. Further replication studies are required to better understand parents' role in the development and maintenance of ED-related symptoms. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Prospective research examining how early childhood parental feeding practices might contribute to adolescent ED symptoms is limited. In two population-based cohorts, nonresponsive feeding practices (restriction, instrumental feeding, pressure to eat) predicted increased frequency of some ED symptoms and disordered eating behaviors in adolescence, although associations were small and further replication is required. Findings support the promotion of responsive feeding practices, which may benefit young children's developing relationship with food.

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We examined the relationships between three eating behaviors and nine motives underlying food choices made by Brazilian adults. Using participant responses to the short version of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Food Choice Questionnaire, we investigated eating behaviors (cognitive restriction, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating) and motives for food choices (health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern). We used a structural equation model to test relationship pathways (ß), with eating behaviors as independent variables and motives for food choices as dependent variables. Participants were 1297 individuals (69.5% female) with a mean age of 25.0 years (SD = 5.8). We confirmed the validity and reliability of the questionnaires in this sample. Restrictive eating behavior was significantly related to motives of health (ß = .415), mood (ß = .127), natural content (ß = .364), weight control (ß = .681), and ethical concern (ß = .161). Emotional eating behavior was related to motives of mood (ß = .277), health (ß = -.137), and natural content (ß = -.136). Uncontrolled eating behavior was related to motives of convenience (ß = .226), sensory appeal (ß = .121), price (ß = .153), and familiarity (ß = .090). We believe these findings can now help design future research and clinical interventions for managing people's risky eating behaviors and promoting beneficial food choices.

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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in wealthy societies, and is responsible for a significant rise in liver morbidity and mortality. Current treatments prioritise lifestyle interventions, predominantly diet and exercise management, but patients frequently fail to make the necessary behavioural adjustments. The current study seeks to identify those factors which influence patients' behaviour with respect to adherence to treatment regimes. METHODS: Novel areas of interest were investigated; locus of control, behavioural regulation and a range of mental health measures, due to their links to either poor lifestyle choices or abnormal eating as identified in previous literature. Data was gathered using self-report questionnaires, from 96 participants, who were split into three groups, NAFLD patients, non-NAFLD liver disease patients and healthy controls RESULTS: Data was analysed using a MANOVA, and followed up with a Tukey post-hoc test. Three factors were found to be significant by group; cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and SAPAS score (a measure of personality disorders). An association between personality disorders and NAFLD was identified. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that NAFLD patients are screened for personality disorders and, if identified, treated prior to the commencement of diet and exercise management.

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BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that there is an association between impulsivity, assessed via self-report measures and behaviourally, and disinhibited eating patterns, but it remains unclear which specific dimension of impulsivity is the most salient in this relationship. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether any such associations would extend to actual eating behaviours and food consumption. AIMS: The present study aimed to examine whether impulsivity, assessed both behaviourally and via self-report, is associated with self-reported disinhibited and actual eating behaviour in a controlled eating task. METHOD: 70 women from a community sample (aged 21-35) completed the Disinhibition subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Matching Familiar Figures Task (MFFT-20), and a behavioural food consumption task. RESULTS: Bivariate correlational analyses revealed significant associations between self-report measure of impulsivity, the scores on the MFFT-20 (assessing reflection impulsivity), and self-report measure of disinhibited eating. All these measures were associated with overall food consumption in a taste task, with reflection impulsivity, that is poor ability to reflect on information before making a decision, having the strongest association with the amount of food consumed. Self-reported impulsivity was most strongly associated with disinhibited eating. Partial correlations controlling for BMI and age did not diminish any significant correlations within these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Significant associations between both trait and behavioural (reflection) impulsivity, and self-reported disinhibited eating and actual eating behaviour were demonstrated. The implications of these findings on uncontrolled eating patterns in real life are discussed.

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Hedonic hunger, reward-driven eating outside of biological need, is a newer construct in eating behavior research. During behavioral weight loss (BWL), greater improvements in hedonic hunger are associated with higher weight loss, but it remains unclear if hedonic hunger predicts weight loss independent of more well-established, similar constructs (uncontrolled eating and food craving). Research also is needed to understand how hedonic hunger interacts with contextual factors (e.g., obesogenic food environment) during weight loss. Adults (N = 283) in a 12-month randomized controlled trial of BWL were weighed at 0, 12, and 24 months, and completed questionnaires assessing hedonic hunger, food craving, uncontrolled eating, and the home food environment. All variables improved at 12 and 24 months. Decreases in hedonic hunger at 12 months were associated with higher concurrent weight loss, but not when accounting for improvements in craving and uncontrolled eating. At 24 months, reduction in craving was a stronger predictor of weight loss than hedonic hunger, but improvement in hedonic hunger was a stronger predictor of weight loss than change in uncontrolled eating. Changes to the obesogenic home food environment failed to predict weight loss, regardless of levels of hedonic hunger. This study adds novel information on the individual and contextual factors associated with short- and long-term weight control, which can help refine conceptual models and treatment strategies.

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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different meditation practices on eating behavior, changes in body weight, and mental health. METHODS: A virtual questionnaire was used to evaluate meditation practices and current and prepandemic weights. The questionnaire comprised specific and validated instruments to evaluate body image (silhouette scale), eating behavior (21-item three-factor eating questionnaire), current sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory). Initially, data from all the respondents were assessed (n = 764). Mindfulness was the most common type of meditation practice in most Brazilian regions. RESULTS: Lower scores in uncontrolled eating (meditation practitioners = 32.19 ± 19.72 and non-meditation practitioners = 35.17 ± 20.50; P = 0.038) and higher weight loss (meditation practitioners = -0.77 ± 8.44 and non-meditation practitioners = 1.29 ± 6.39; P = 0.013) were observed among those who practiced some type of meditation. To verify the influence of weight, we analyzed the data of individuals who had body mass index ≥25 kg/m²; overweight individuals presented lower uncontrolled eating scores when they practiced meditation. However, no statistical difference was observed between meditation practitioners and non-practitioners when only adequate weight individuals were evaluated. The practice also influenced the perception of body image among men and resulted in lower uncontrolled eating scores on the 21-item three-factor eating questionnaire and greater weight loss during the pandemic among women. Those practicing meditation for >13 mo had a lower final score on the anxiety assessment instrument compared with those practicing for <12 mo (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the inclusion of meditation practice as part of the management of overweight may reduce dysfunctional eating behaviors and negative emotions, thereby contributing to weight loss, especially in the long term.

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Food cues are ubiquitous in today's environment; however, there is heterogeneity as to the extent to which these cues impact eating behavior among individuals. This study examines the validity and reliability of the Food Cue Responsivity Scale (FCRS) to assess responsivity to distinct types of food cues. Items gathered from existing measures were combined in the FCRS to reflect two subdomains, uncontrolled eating behavior and cognitive rumination. The criterion validity of the FCRS was established using a paradigm that assesses psychophysiological responsivity to a craved food among adults with overweight or obesity. Higher overall FCRS scores were associated with greater physiological responsivity to food exposures. These findings may help identify specific phenotypes of individuals with overweight or obesity with high responsivity to food cues, which could be used to understand overeating and response to weight-loss programs.

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BACKGROUND: Obesity and related co-morbidities represent a major health challenge nowadays, with a rapidly increasing incidence worldwide. The gut microbiome has recently emerged as a key modifier of human health that can affect the development and progression of obesity, largely due to its involvement in the regulation of food intake and metabolism. However, there are still few studies that have in-depth explored the functionality of the human gut microbiome in obesity and even fewer that have examined its relationship to eating behaviors. METHODS: In an attempt to advance our knowledge of the gut-microbiome-brain axis in the obese phenotype, we thoroughly characterized the gut microbiome signatures of obesity in a well-phenotyped Italian female cohort from the NeuroFAST and MyNewGut EU FP7 projects. Fecal samples were collected from 63 overweight/obese and 37 normal-weight women and analyzed via a multi-omics approach combining 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and lipidomics. Associations with anthropometric, clinical, biochemical, and nutritional data were then sought, with particular attention to cognitive and behavioral domains of eating. RESULTS: We identified four compositional clusters of the gut microbiome in our cohort that, although not distinctly associated with weight status, correlated differently with eating habits and behaviors. These clusters also differed in functional features, i.e., transcriptional activity and fecal metabolites. In particular, obese women with uncontrolled eating behavior were mostly characterized by low-diversity microbial steady states, with few and poorly interconnected species (e.g., Ruminococcus torques and Bifidobacterium spp.), which exhibited low transcriptional activity, especially of genes involved in secondary bile acid biosynthesis and neuroendocrine signaling (i.e., production of neurotransmitters, indoles and ligands for cannabinoid receptors). Consistently, high amounts of primary bile acids as well as sterols were found in their feces. CONCLUSIONS: By finding peculiar gut microbiome profiles associated with eating patterns, we laid the foundation for elucidating gut-brain axis communication in the obese phenotype. Subject to confirmation of the hypotheses herein generated, our work could help guide the design of microbiome-based precision interventions, aimed at rewiring microbial networks to support a healthy diet-microbiome-gut-brain axis, thus counteracting obesity and related complications.

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Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) in Mexican patients with obesity. Methods: 292 Mexican adults (194 women, 98 men) who entered a multidisciplinary treatment program for obesity at a third level hospital in Mexico, completed the TFEQ-R18 to obtain the psychometric properties. Results: The TFEQ-R18 has a good internal consistency showing a global Cronbach´s a= 0.88, and McDonald's w=0.88, and maintained the original three factors (cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating); CFA showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices, except for the X2 (X2 = 274.5, df = 142, p <.001; RMSEA = .061, CI [.051, .071]; CFI = .93; TLI = .92; SRMR = .071). There is a significant positive correlation with the diagnosis of eating disorder and emotional eating with uncontrolled eating and emotional eating factors. Conclusions: The TFEQ-R18 allows an adequate evaluation of the three eating factors in Mexican patients with obesity and allows a differentiation between cases with or without eating disorders.

Resumen: El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de tres factores de alimentación (TFEQ-R18) en pacientes mexicanos con obesidad. Método: Participaron 292 adultos mexicanos (194 mujeres, 98 hombres) que ingresaron a un tratamiento multidisciplinario para obesidad en un hospital de tercer nivel en la Ciudad de México. Resultados: El TFEQ-R18 tiene una buena consistencia interna mostrando un a de Cronbach global= 0,88, y w de McDonald =0,88, mantiene los tres factores originales (restricción cognitiva, alimentación descontrolada e ingesta emocional); El CFA mostró índices de bondad de ajuste adecuados, excepto la X2 (X2 = 274.5, df = 142, p <.001; RMSEA = .061, IC [.051, .071]; CFI = .93; TLI = . 92; SRMR = 0,071). Existe además una correlación positiva significativa entre el diagnóstico de trastorno de la conducta alimentaria y la ingesta emocional con los factores de alimentación descontrolada y alimentación emocional de la escala. Conclusiones: El TFEQ-R18 permite una adecuada evaluación de los tres factores alimentarios en pacientes mexicanos con obesidad y permite diferenciar entre casos con o sin trastornos alimentarios.

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BACKGROUND: Eating behavior in individuals with chronic mental disorders is affected by several factors such as stress, drugs, and the environment. Eating problems can lead to over-nutrition and obesity. Therefore, the Shared Decision Making Model-based Guided Self-Help Program aimed at solving the eating problems of individuals with bipolar disorder living in the community should be tested with preliminary studies. Thus, it would be appropriate to create a useful, accessible, and applicable program for these individuals to overcome their eating problems. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case study, the effects of the Guided Self-Help Program based on the Shared Decision Making Model (GSHP-SDM) on the eating behaviors of an individual who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and displayed binge eating and emotional eating behaviors were investigated. In the study, it was determined that implementation of the eight-session GSHP-SDM, during which the participant was interviewed once a week, improved her emotional and uncontrolled eating behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first case study in which the GSHP was implemented to change the eating behavior of an individual with a chronic mental disorder. We observed that the GSHP regulated her eating behavior. We also observed that SDM therapeutic intervention enabled her to decide that she could regulate her eating behaviors.

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Negative emotional states (NES; i.e., depression, anxiety and stress) are likely contributors to the development of food addiction (FA). The association between NES and FA symptoms may be mediated by altered eating behaviors or by eating-to-cope motives. This study examined, in a sample of Argentinean young adults, the association between NES and FA symptoms via eating-to-cope motives and three patterns of eating behaviors. We also examined whether the model was invariant across college status. The transition from high school to college is usually associated with increased exposure to stress, which promotes the probability of engaging in altered eating behaviors. A sample of 499 Argentinean young adults (mean age = 24.9 ± 3.51 years) completed a survey that assessed FA symptoms, eating behaviors (i.e., uncontrolled, emotional, and restrained eating), eating-to-cope motives and NES. A path analysis tested the indirect association between NES and FA symptoms via uncontrolled, emotional or restrained eating, or by eating-to-cope. Stress and depression symptoms were indirectly associated with FA symptoms via uncontrolled eating and eating-to-cope motives. The model was invariant across college status. The findings suggest that NES are associated with FA symptoms by increasing uncontrolled eating and eating-to-cope motives. Young adults exhibiting greater depressive or stress symptoms, higher eating-to-cope, or higher uncontrolled eating may be at risk for FA. Future research should examine the significance of this pattern by tailoring interventions to these characteristics.

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BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing epidemic among university students, and the high levels of stress reported by this population could contribute to this issue. Singular relationships between perceived stress; engagement in restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep; dietary risk; and body mass index (BMI) have been reported in the current body of literature; however, these constructs interact with each other, and the complex relationships among them are infrequently examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using mediation and moderation analyses stratified by gender. METHODS: A cross-sectional study, enrolling university students from the United States (U.S.), the Netherlands, South Korea, Malaysia, Ireland, Ghana, and China, was conducted between October 2020 and January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived stress; maladaptive eating behaviors including restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep duration and quality; dietary risk; and BMI were assessed using validated questionnaires, which were distributed through an online platform. RESULTS: A total of 1392 students completed the online survey (379 male, 973 female, and 40 who self-identified as "other"). Uncontrolled and emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and dietary risk for both males and females; higher sleep quality weakened this relationship among female students but not males. Emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and BMI for both males and females, but higher sleep quality weakened this relationship only among females. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that students in higher education are likely to benefit from interventions to reduce uncontrolled and emotional eating. Programs that improve sleep quality, especially during highly stressful periods, may be helpful.

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Young adulthood is the period from the late teens through the twenties and is associated with life transitions that could contribute to the development of obesity. Targeting this group will be critical to reversing the obesity epidemic. The aim of the study was to investigate the eating behaviors and lifestyle of healthcare students in Poland. We enrolled 227 students in the study. Convenience sampling was employed. Diet (Food Frequency Questionnaire), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsivity Scale), and eating behaviors (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) were assessed. One in three students exhibited depressive symptoms, one in four showed low levels of physical activity. More than 40% of the students did not consume vegetables at least once a day, and more than half did not consume fruit. Only approximately 50% of the students ate fish several times a month. There was an association between high scores of specific eating behaviors and body weight, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and consumption of specific product groups (sweets, alcohol). The results of our study are expected to contribute to a better understanding of dietary habits and overweight/obesity in university students, and support the development of programs to promote healthy lifestyles in that population.

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Exercise may sensitize individuals with overweight and obesity to appetitive signals (e.g., hunger and fullness cues), overriding trait eating behaviors that contribute to overeating and obesity, such as uncontrolled eating. The objective of the current study was to measure predictors of objective ad libitum energy intake at a laboratory-based, post-exercise test-meal in adolescents ranging in weight status from overweight to severe obesity. We hypothesized that appetitive states, rather than appetitive traits, would be the strongest predictors of energy intake at a post-exercise test-meal, after controlling for body size. At Baseline, 30 adolescents (ages 10-16 years, 50% female (F), 43% non-Hispanic white (NHW), 83% with obesity (OB)) completed state and trait appetite measures and an ad libitum dinner meal following intensive exercise. Nineteen of those participants (47% F, 32% NHW, 79% OB) completed identical assessments two years later (Year 2). Energy intake (kcal) at each time point was adjusted for fat-free mass index (i.e., body size). Adjusted energy intake was reliable from Baseline to Year 2 (ICC = 0.84). Multiple pre-meal appetite ratings were associated with test-meal energy intake. In stepwise linear regression models, pre-meal prospective food consumption was the strongest and only significant predictor of test-meal energy intake at both Baseline (R2 = 0.25, p = 0.005) and Year 2 (R2 = 0.41, p = 0.003). Baseline post-exercise energy intake was associated with weight change over two years (R2 = 0.24, p = 0.04), but not with change in fat mass (p = 0.11). Appetitive traits were not associated with weight or body composition change (p > 0.22). State appetite cues were the strongest predictors of post-exercise energy intake, independent of body size. Future studies should examine whether long-term exercise programs enhance responsiveness to homeostatic appetite signals in youth with overweight and obesity, with a goal to reduce excess energy intake and risk for weight gain over time.

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Background: Given the link between eating behavior and obesity, it is critical to identify individuals who have eating behaviors which contribute to obesity etiology. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between symptoms of anxiety and eating behaviors in patients with obesity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study analyzing baseline characteristics of 438 patients with obesity (BMI>30). Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire R21 (TFEQ-R21), and the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the association between questionnaires. Two-sample independent t-test were conducted to examine differences in the TFEQ-R21 and WEL between low and moderate to severe levels of symptoms of anxiety. Results: Anxiety scores (HADS-A) positively correlated with two factors of the TFEQ, emotional eating (r = 0.36) and uncontrolled eating (r = 0.27). The HADS-A score was negatively correlated with self-efficacy to resist eating in all five situational factors on the WEL (p < 0.01). Patients with symptoms of anxiety additionally showed higher mean scores for emotional eating and uncontrolled eating (p < 0.001, respectively),and lower levels of cognitive restraint (p = 0.04)) on the TFEQ-R21. Conclusion: Patients with obesity who reported having anxiety symptoms had lower self-confidence to manage their eating and more emotional eating than patients with low anxiety symptoms. Clearly more needs to be learned about symtoms of anxiety and eating behaviors.