Cognitive aspects of dietary restraint: Effects on person memory

Abstract

Memory for weight‐, food‐, and appearance‐related information was examined in female restrained and unrestrained college students and in female obese and eating‐disordered patients. Subjects read an essay about another person and were later asked to recall the essay as completely as possible. As predicted, restrained students remembered more weight‐ and food‐related items than appearance‐related items in comparison to the unrestrained students. Similarly, the obese and anorexic patients recalled significantly more of the weight‐ and food‐related items than the other items. In both samples, restraint scores were positively correlated with the frequency with which subjects mentioned weight and food in an “accessibility” task. The discussion focused on the implications of these findings.

Information processing of food cues in overweight and normal weight adolescents

“…The results are in line with the only study to date on memory biases in an adult overweight population. In this study, overweight women recalled significantly more weight-and food-related items than other items after reading an essay (King et al, 1991) but no firm conclusions could be drawn about whether the memory bias was specific for food words (Lee & Shafran, 2004). In the present study, the latter shortcoming was partially met by including only high caloric food words as target words.…”

“…Although research in normal weight participants is inconclusive (Sebastian et al , 1996), a study by Israeli and Stewart (2001) did find partial support for greater memory accessibility to high caloric food cues in restrained eaters. King and colleagues (1991), in turn, found a memory bias for food and weight stimuli in restrained eaters, irrespective of their weight status. A possible explanation for the lack of evidence in the present study is that the dietary restraint and disinhibition scales of the DEBQ, as used here, measure attitudes and not actual behaviour.…”

Information processing of food cues in overweight and normal weight adolescents

“…The results are in line with the only study to date on memory biases in an adult overweight population. In this study, overweight women recalled significantly more weight-and food-related items than other items after reading an essay (King et al, 1991) but no firm conclusions could be drawn about whether the memory bias was specific for food words (Lee & Shafran, 2004). In the present study, the latter shortcoming was partially met by including only high caloric food words as target words.…”

“…Although research in normal weight participants is inconclusive (Sebastian et al , 1996), a study by Israeli and Stewart (2001) did find partial support for greater memory accessibility to high caloric food cues in restrained eaters. King and colleagues (1991), in turn, found a memory bias for food and weight stimuli in restrained eaters, irrespective of their weight status. A possible explanation for the lack of evidence in the present study is that the dietary restraint and disinhibition scales of the DEBQ, as used here, measure attitudes and not actual behaviour.…”

Neuropsychology of Bulimia Nervosa: New Findings

“…This deterioration remained even after regaining weight. In another study, with groups of patients with AN, obese eaters, restrictive and not restrictive eaters, it was found that the first three groups recalled more words related to weight and food and fewer words related to the shape, compared with the group of non-restrictive eaters (King et al, 1991). On the other hand, in a study of 18 patients with AN, there was deterioration in verbal memory compared to the 19 participants without disorder (Sherman, et al, 2006), using the Complex Figure Test Rey (1999).…”

Cognitive Theory in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: A Review

“…Two studies have assessed selective memory in patients with eating disorders (King, Polivy, & Herman, 1991;Sebastian, Williamson, & Blouin, 1996). The first was designed primarily to assess person memory in restrained eaters but also included a small number of eating disordered patients.…”

Information processing of food cues in overweight and normal weight adolescents

“…The results are in line with the only study to date on memory biases in an adult overweight population. In this study, overweight women recalled significantly more weight-and food-related items than other items after reading an essay (King et al, 1991) but no firm conclusions could be drawn about whether the memory bias was specific for food words (Lee & Shafran, 2004). In the present study, the latter shortcoming was partially met by including only high caloric food words as target words.…”

“…Although research in normal weight participants is inconclusive (Sebastian et al , 1996), a study by Israeli and Stewart (2001) did find partial support for greater memory accessibility to high caloric food cues in restrained eaters. King and colleagues (1991), in turn, found a memory bias for food and weight stimuli in restrained eaters, irrespective of their weight status. A possible explanation for the lack of evidence in the present study is that the dietary restraint and disinhibition scales of the DEBQ, as used here, measure attitudes and not actual behaviour.…”

Neuropsychology of Bulimia Nervosa: New Findings

“…This deterioration remained even after regaining weight. In another study, with groups of patients with AN, obese eaters, restrictive and not restrictive eaters, it was found that the first three groups recalled more words related to weight and food and fewer words related to the shape, compared with the group of non-restrictive eaters (King et al, 1991). On the other hand, in a study of 18 patients with AN, there was deterioration in verbal memory compared to the 19 participants without disorder (Sherman, et al, 2006), using the Complex Figure Test Rey (1999).…”

Cognitive Theory in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: A Review

“…Two studies have assessed selective memory in patients with eating disorders (King, Polivy, & Herman, 1991;Sebastian, Williamson, & Blouin, 1996). The first was designed primarily to assess person memory in restrained eaters but also included a small number of eating disordered patients.…”

Information processing of food cues in overweight and normal weight adolescents

“…The results are in line with the only study to date on memory biases in an adult overweight population. In this study, overweight women recalled significantly more weight-and food-related items than other items after reading an essay (King et al, 1991) but no firm conclusions could be drawn about whether the memory bias was specific for food words (Lee & Shafran, 2004). In the present study, the latter shortcoming was partially met by including only high caloric food words as target words.…”

“…Although research in normal weight participants is inconclusive (Sebastian et al , 1996), a study by Israeli and Stewart (2001) did find partial support for greater memory accessibility to high caloric food cues in restrained eaters. King and colleagues (1991), in turn, found a memory bias for food and weight stimuli in restrained eaters, irrespective of their weight status. A possible explanation for the lack of evidence in the present study is that the dietary restraint and disinhibition scales of the DEBQ, as used here, measure attitudes and not actual behaviour.…”

Neuropsychology of Bulimia Nervosa: New Findings

“…This deterioration remained even after regaining weight. In another study, with groups of patients with AN, obese eaters, restrictive and not restrictive eaters, it was found that the first three groups recalled more words related to weight and food and fewer words related to the shape, compared with the group of non-restrictive eaters (King et al, 1991). On the other hand, in a study of 18 patients with AN, there was deterioration in verbal memory compared to the 19 participants without disorder (Sherman, et al, 2006), using the Complex Figure Test Rey (1999).…”

Cognitive Theory in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: A Review

“…Two studies have assessed selective memory in patients with eating disorders (King, Polivy, & Herman, 1991;Sebastian, Williamson, & Blouin, 1996). The first was designed primarily to assess person memory in restrained eaters but also included a small number of eating disordered patients.…”