OBJECTIVES: Describe the physical and psychological correlates of the Eating Inventory (EI) (also known as the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) factors in an obese sample, and determine the relationship between the three EI factors and weight loss. DESIGN: Consecutive series of obese women enrolled between 1987 and 1996 in clinical trials of weight loss treatments. PARTICIPANTS: 223 obese women with a weight of 100.7 AE 15.5 kg, an age of 41.4 AE 8.8 y and a body mass index (BMI) of 37.2 AE 5.6 kgam 2 . MEASURES: The EI and a variety of physical (weight, body composition and resting energy expenditure) and psychological (mood and binge eating) measures were assessed before and after 5 ± 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Before treatment, higher restraint scores were associated with lower body weights (P 0.02), while higher disinhibition scores were associated with greater binge eating severity (P`0.0001). Weight loss treatment was associated with signi®cant increases in restraint and decreases in disinhibition and hunger (all Ps`0.0001). Greater increases in restraint during treatment were associated with larger weight losses (P`0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The three factors of the EI showed clinical utility in a sample of women receiving treatment for obesity.

Excessive value may be placed on attaining less than realistic weight goals, particularly but not exclusively by treatment-seeking and heavier obese people and those who desire greater weight loss. Clinicians should take this phenomenon into consideration, and public health initiatives should attempt to place body weight in a more balanced perspective.

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