ABSTRACT
New theories are becoming a focus as researchers work to find more successful ways of dealing with the obesity epidemic. We often look to the past to find research that shows potential for theories that might be applied to current treatment regimens. Studies have shown that increased eating in response to negative affect is common in persons with high levels of restraint [1-3]. Also, evidence is available to show that overweight persons consume more than normal or underweight persons during negative emotional periods in their lives [4, 5]. Schlundt, a psychologist who has worked with persons who have binge and disordered eating episodes, in surveying overweight persons has found that they rate their ability to cope with eating temptations during negative emotional states as less competent than normal weight persons [6]. The Eating Inventory provides an indicator of “disinhibition” and is a commonly used descriptive measure to analyze eating in response to social cues, cognitions, and emotions [7, 8]. Thus, eating in response to negative affect (feeling sad, deprived, stressed, less in control, anxious, angry, etc.) has been observed in persons who are classified as restrained eaters. Self-reported emotional eating is more often described in overweight vs. normal weight persons. Weight
regain can be predicted by disinhibition of eating in response to emotion and cognitions.
