Emotional Eating: A Virtually Untreated Risk Factor for Outcome Following Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Empirical investigations implicate emotional eating (EE) in dysfunctional eating behavior such as uncontrolled overeating and insufficient weight loss following bariatric surgery. They demonstrate that EE may be a conscious or reflexive behavior motivated by multiple negative emotions and/or feelings of distress about loss-of-control eating. EE, however, has not been targeted in pre- or postoperative interventions or examined as an explanatory construct for failed treatment of dysfunctional eating. Three cases suggest that cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) might alleviate EE. One describes treatment for distress provoked by loss-of-control eating. The first of two others, associated with negative emotions/life situations, link treatment of a super-super-preoperative obese individual's reflexive EE with 52% excess BMI (body mass index) loss maintained for the past year, 64 months after surgery. The second relates treatment of conscious/reflexive EE with 84.52% excess BMI loss 53 months after surgery. Implications for research and treatment are discussed.

Emotional food cravings predicts poor short‐term weight loss following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

“…Emotional eating is estimated to be present in 38–59% of bariatric surgery candidates (Miller‐Matero et al ., ; Opolski et al ., ). Emotional eating has been implicated in other maladaptive eating behaviours post‐operatively such as grazing (Colles et al ., ), uncontrolled overeating (Rusch & Andris, ), and snack eating and acts as a trigger for other forms of dysfunctional eating (Chesler, ). Further, higher emotional eating is associated with cravings for high‐calorie or high‐carbohydrate foods that have minimal nutritional value such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits, and pastries (Camilleri et al ., ).…”

The late-luteal leptin level, caloric intake and eating behaviors among women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

“…Depression and irritability are the cardinal symptoms of PMDD (Ko et al, 2013;Yen et al, 2011). Emotional eating is an eating behavior motivated by multiple negative emotions (Chesler, 2012) and moderate stress-induced food intake in females (van Strien et al, 2014). Further, women with PMDD have a higher impulsivity (Yen et al, 2011).…”

“…Moreover, normal-weight women with PMDD have higher emotional eating, which is an eating behavior motivated by multiple negative emotions (Chesler, 2012).…”

Cirurgia bariátrica e transtornos alimentares: uma revisão integrativa

“…A partir de 1993 há descrição da síndrome alimentar noturna também casos pré-e pós-CB 18,23 . O primeiro estudo de revisão internacional é de 2012 nos EUA 24 , mas trata-se da apresentação de investigações empíricas e casos clínicos; um estudo mais amplo revisou 15 estudos no mesmo ano 8 . No Brasil, apenas uma revisão seletiva foi realizada 13 , com foco em acompanhamento psiquiátrico de pacientes bariátricos -com menção a dados relacionados aos TA.…”