Based on recent studies indicating that emotional eating is not the clearly defined problem it is often 33 thought to be, the present study investigated whether emotional eaters overeat merely in response to 34 negative emotional cues, or to other cues as well. It was hypothesized that emotional eaters would 35 overeat after a variety of food cues, not limited to negative emotions. Participants took part in four 36 conditions (negative mood manipulation, positive mood manipulation, food exposure and a control 37 condition) divided over two sessions. Each condition was followed by a bogus taste test, after which 38 food intake was measured. Results showed strong correlations between food intake after all four 39 conditions, indicating that increased intake after one type of cue is related to increased intake after 40 other cues. Participants were identified as emotional or non-emotional eaters based on food intake in 41 the negative mood condition, and based on self-reported emotional eating scores. Both measures of 42 emotional eating were significantly related to food intake after all cues. Based on the current findings, 43we conclude that individuals who show increased food intake when in a negative emotional state also 44 overeat when experiencing other food-signalling cues. This indicates that 'emotional eating' may not 45 fully capture the eating behaviour of individuals currently identified as 'emotional eaters'. 46 47 48

Improving treatment delivery will involve working with clinicians' levels of anxiety, clarifying the lack of benefit of pre-therapy motivational enhancement work, and reminding clinicians that the therapeutic alliance is enhanced by behavioral change in CBT-ED, rather than the other way around.

Based on recent studies indicating that emotional eating is not the clearly defined problem it is often 33 thought to be, the present study investigated whether emotional eaters overeat merely in response to 34 negative emotional cues, or to other cues as well. It was hypothesized that emotional eaters would 35 overeat after a variety of food cues, not limited to negative emotions. Participants took part in four 36 conditions (negative mood manipulation, positive mood manipulation, food exposure and a control 37 condition) divided over two sessions. Each condition was followed by a bogus taste test, after which 38 food intake was measured. Results showed strong correlations between food intake after all four 39 conditions, indicating that increased intake after one type of cue is related to increased intake after 40 other cues. Participants were identified as emotional or non-emotional eaters based on food intake in 41 the negative mood condition, and based on self-reported emotional eating scores. Both measures of 42 emotional eating were significantly related to food intake after all cues. Based on the current findings, 43we conclude that individuals who show increased food intake when in a negative emotional state also 44 overeat when experiencing other food-signalling cues. This indicates that 'emotional eating' may not 45 fully capture the eating behaviour of individuals currently identified as 'emotional eaters'. 46 47 48