Eating in the absence of hunger in college students

Abstract

The body is capable of regulating hunger in several ways. Some of these hunger regulation methods are innate, such as genetics, and some, such as the responses to stress and to the smell of food, are innate but can be affected by body conditions such as BMI and physical activity. Further, some hunger regulation methods stem from learned behaviors originating from cultural pressures or parenting styles. These latter regulation methods for hunger can be grouped into the categories: emotion, environment, and physical.The factors that regulate hunger can also influence the incidence of disordered eating, such as eating in the absence of hunger (EAH). Eating in the absence of hunger can occur in one of two scenarios, continuous EAH or beginning EAH. College students are at a particularly high risk for EAH and weight gain due to stress, social pressures, and the constant availability of energy dense and nutrient poor food options.The purpose of this study is to validate a modified EAH-C survey in college students and to discover which of the three latent factors (emotion, environment, physical) best predicts continual and beginning EAH. To do so, a modified EAH-C survey, with additional demographic components, was administered to students at a major southwest university. This survey contained two questions, one each for continuing and beginning EAH, regarding 14 factors related to emotional, physical, or environmental reasons that may trigger EAH.The results from this study revealed that the continual and beginning EAH surveys displayed good internal consistency reliability. We found that for beginning and continuing EAH, although emotion is the strongest predictor of EAH, all three latent ii factors are significant predictors of EAH. In addition, we found that environmental factors had the greatest influence on an individual's likelihood to continue to eat in the absence of hunger. Due to statistical abnormalities and differing numbers of factors in each category, we were unable to determine which of the three factors exerted the greatest influence on an individual's likelihood to begin eating in the absence of hunger.These results can be utilized to develop educational tools aimed at reducing EAH in college students, and ultimately reducing the likelihood for unhealthy weight gain and health complications related to obesity.

Metabolic syndrome within freshman students; Case study in Jazan Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

“…In this research, most students complain reduced sleep since their habitations are distant and have to get up very early. Arnold et al (2015) attributed weight gain in this period to disinherited eating phenomenon in students. He explained that this phenomenon is caused by the lack of self-restraint over food consumption prompted by emotional or external factors.…”

The impact of intuitive eating v. pinned eating on behavioural markers: a preliminary investigation

“…'I have eaten too much' t1 α 0⋅9; t2 α 0⋅9). All items were measured on a Likert scale ranging from 'not at all' (1) to 'very much' (5). These items were based on those used in previous research to assess changes in the drive to eat in a number of different situations (8,10) .…”

“…'Not snacked throughout the day' t1 α 0⋅8; t2 α 0⋅9)]. All items were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 'Never' (1) to 'Always' (5). The measure of snacking was based on a scale used previously in a number of different research settings (19) .…”

“…'Follow these recommendations' t1 α 0⋅8; t2 α 0⋅8). Both behavioural intentions and self-efficacy scales were assessed for Right Now using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 'Not at all' (1) to 'very much' (5). A total selfefficacy scale was also computed (t1 α 0⋅9; t2 α 0⋅9).…”

“…Research shows that an increasing number of people 'Eat on the go' and that there is a shift towards snacking rather than consuming meals (10)(11)(12) . Furthermore, this shift away from designated meals is associated with a reduction in vegetable intake, overeating and subsequent weight gain (5,6) . In contrast, research indicates that much food intake is already governed by external cues (8,9) and that limiting snacking, introducing meal planning and meal timing can reduce body weight and food intake (13)(14)(15) , Furthermore, time-restricted feeding which limits the window when feeding can occur has also been shown to be beneficial to weight (15) .…”