Emotional and external eating styles associated with obesity

Hassiba Benbaibeche; Hamza Saidi; Abdenour Bounihi; Elhadj Ahmed Koceir

doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00797-w

Emotional and external eating styles associated with obesity

J Eat Disord. 2023 May 2;11(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s40337-023-00797-w.

Authors

Hassiba Benbaibeche¹, Hamza Saidi², Abdenour Bounihi³, Elhadj Ahmed Koceir²

Affiliations

¹ Faculté des sciences, département des sciences de la nature et de la vie, Université Alger 1, Alger, Algérie. benbaibecheh@yahoo.fr.
² University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria.
³ Ecole Supérieure des Sciences de l'Aliment et des Industries Agroalimentaires, Alger, Algérie.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is related to eating habits. Overeating is the most behavioural trait implicated in obesity; emotional, external and rigid restrained eating are three maladaptive eating habits that are associated to overeating.

Objectives: The current study assesses the eating styles of Algerian adults. It identifies and analyses differences in eating styles in a sample from adults with normal BMI and who have obesity. The study examines the relationship between eating styles and BMI.

Methods: The sample consisted of 200 volunteers aged from 31 to 62 years old, 110 with obesity and 90 having normal BMI. The participants were recruited from hospital and university employees. They were questioned about their eating habits. The participants did not receive any treatment. To assess eating styles, participants completed the DEBQ.

Results: The prevalence of women was in the majority, representing 61% (n = 122) in the total sample (63.63% (n = 70) with obesity, and 55.77% (n = 52) with normal BMI). The prevalence of men represents 39% (n = 78) in the total sample (36.36% (n = 40) with obesity, and 42.22% (n = 38) with normal BMI). Participants with obesity showed pathological eating styles. They scored higher on emotional and external eating styles than to normal BMI group. However, restraint eating showed a slight no significant increase. The mean scores ± standard deviations observed in each eating styles were: emotional eating (2.88 ± 0.99** vs. 1.71 ± 0.32), external eating (3.31 ± 0.68** vs. 1.96 ± 0.29), and retrained eating (1.81 ± 0.7^ns vs. 1.3 ± 0.30). The linear regression analysis showed an effect of emotional and external eating on BMI.

Conclusion: These results could be used to provide clinical information at the initial screening for obesity criteria, obesity prevention and treatment.

Keywords: DEBQ; Emotional eating; External eating; Obesity; Pathological eating.

Plain language summary

Emotional, external and rigid restrained eating are three eating habits related to obesity. They are associated to overeating in response to negative emotions, external food-related cues, and body weight control. Obesity treatment necessarily requires the training of medical professionals. The objective of this research is to assess eating styles of people living with obesity and to analyse differences comparing with people with normal body mass index (BMI). We examined the relationship between eating habits and BMI. A total of 200 participants aged from 31 to 62 years old were recruited from hospital and university workers; 110 with obesity and 90 with normal BMI. The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire was used to assess eating styles (DEBQ). The outcomes of the current study showed that people with obesity exhibit a high emotional and external eating. However, they show a slight restraint eating. BMI was associated to both emotional and external eating. Negatives emotions lead participants to overeat as a response way to cope with, and expose them to obesity. These results are important for the initial screening of obesity criteria. For prevention and treatment of obesity, eating styles must be targeted as factors associated to obesity in order to cope with negative emotions.