Influence of dietary macronutrient composition on eating behaviour and self-perception in young women undergoing weight management

Abstract

The control of eating behaviours such as hunger and disinhibition is problematic for women during weight management. Higher-protein (HP) diets have been shown to promote greater weight reduction than higher-carbohydrate (HC) diets, but their impact on eating behaviours is relatively unexplored. This study compared two iso-energetically restricted (5,600 kJ/day) diets differing in protein (HP: 32%, HC: 20%) and carbohydrate (HP: 41%, HC: 58%) on appetite ratings, restraint, disinhibition, perceived hunger and binge eating in 36 (HP: n = 21, HC: n = 15) young (18-25 years), healthy women with BMI ≥27.5 kg/m(2) who completed a 12-month clinical weight management trial. Dietary compliance and self-worth were also assessed. Results showed that both diets induced improvements in restraint and disinhibition from baseline (p < 0.01), with HP participants losing a non-significantly greater amount of weight than HC participants (HP: 9.6 ± 2.6, HC: 4.1 ± 1.4 kg, p = 0.07). Despite reasonable compliance, no significant appetite and eating behaviour differences were observed between the diets. Reduction in disinhibition (regardless of diet) significantly predicted weight loss (β = 0.574, p < 0.001) and self-worth improvement (β = -0.463, p = 0.002), while HP intake predicted greater self-worth change (β = -0.371, p = 0.011). This study demonstrates that young women can improve restraint and disinhibition on a weight management programme, with the reduction in disinhibition shown to be a key predictor of weight loss. HP intake may offer some advantage for increasing self-worth but not eating behaviours. As HP diets are popular, these findings warrant confirmation in a larger sample.

Obesity and Eating Disturbance: the Role of TFEQ Restraint and Disinhibition

“…The eating behavior trait profiles of individuals undergoing weight loss intervention are clearly of high importance, as the eating behavior response of an individual can determine their weight loss success. There are robust findings that in following weight loss interventions, a change in eating behavior traits are seen, whereby there is an increase in Restraint [77, 78] [52, 79, 80] and a decrease in Disinhibition (or UE) [81, 82] [52, 79, 80] and Hunger [83–87]. However, one study found no change in TFEQ factors despite significant weight loss [60].…”

“…In comparison, those studies which utilized, for example, the Mediterranean diet [83] and high-protein and high0carbohydrate diets [79], calorie restricting diets [88], and lifestyle intervention including dietary advice [80] saw increases in TFEQ Restraint and decreases in Disinhibition. Weight loss with these diets was associated with increases in Restraint [80, 88], decreases in Disinhibition [79], or both [83]. It is plausible that changes in eating behavior traits are associated with changes in appetite peptides, where TFEQ Hunger positively predicted ghrelin levels during weight loss [85].…”

“…However, evidence does suggest that weight loss success is related to changes in eating behavior traits, whereby an increase in Flexible Restraint and decrease in Rigid Restraint is related to greater weight loss [89], and where a reduction in Disinhibition predicts weight loss over a 12-month period [79]. In addition, decreases in Restraint and increases in Disinhibition are found to be associated with weight regain over 10 years [90].…”

Diet, eating behaviour and weight gain in men and women with overweight/obesity receiving varenicline for smoking cessation

“…Low, normal and high scores may be classified as ≤5, 6-11, ≥12 for dietary restraint, ≤7, 8-12, ≥13 for disinhibition, ≤4, 5-8, ≥9 for hunger and ≤ 17, 18-26, ≥27 for binge eating. 28 Unanswered questions were scored as zero to summarize them together with the other questions answered, in calculating the total scores for the eating behaviours. The individual score was calculated and used in the analyses only if onehalf or more of the subscale questions were answered.…”

“…However, among women with obesity participating in a weight loss program no difference in eating behaviours between a high-protein and a high-carbohydrate diet was seen. 28 To our knowledge the influence of eating behaviours on weight gain during smoking cessation, while taking changes in the composition of the diet into consideration, has not been well studied. The aims of the present study were to compare eating behaviours (dietary restraint, disinhibition, hunger and binge eating) between two diets reduced in carbohydrate or fat and explore the relation between eating behaviours and weight change in men and women with overweight or obesity during smoking cessation with the aid of varenicline.…”