Investigating phenotypes of emotional eating based on weight categories: A latent profile analysis

Abstract

Objective We aimed to investigate the phenotypes of individuals with emotional eating (EE) based on their levels of positive and negative EE, body mass index (BMI), and preoccupation with weight, and to assess differences in eating pathology and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties among them. Method A community sample of 605 women (mean age = 29.8 years, SD = 9.6; mean BMI = 23.4 kg/m2, SD = 4.7) filled out the Positive–Negative Emotional Eating Scale, Eating Disorders Assessment Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Data of BMI, positive EE, negative EE, and preoccupation with body weight were submitted to a latent profile analysis. Results A four‐profile model was discovered with normal weight individuals without EE (63%), normal weight individuals with EE (23%), overweight individuals without EE (9%), and obese individuals with EE (5%). A five‐profile model was also included, as a class of normal weight individuals with positive EE was found. Obese and normal weight individuals with EE showed the highest level of ER difficulties and eating pathology. Overweight individuals without EE showed moderate levels of eating pathology and low levels of ER difficulties, suggesting that high BMI itself might not be related to eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. Normal weight individuals with positive EE showed low levels of eating pathology, but moderate levels of ER difficulties. Discussion Our results suggest that negative EE could be an important risk factor for disordered eating, independent of BMI. Further, individuals with EE could benefit from learning adaptive ER strategies to prevent the onset or maintenance of ED or weight gain.

The impact of food-related behaviours and emotional functioning on body mass index in an adult sample

“…Participants without tendency to attribute overeating to negative affect (emotional eating) are characterised by a low level of difficulties in regulating emotions. Therefore, these results indicate the key role of emotional functioning in onset or maintenance of maladaptive eating behaviour [8].…”

“…To summarise, interventions focused on reducing body mass by changing eating behaviours should be supplemented with work on the patient's emotional state (reductions in stress and negative emotions) and improvements in adaptive skills for emotion regulation to increase effectiveness. Konttinen et al [25] and Sultson and Akkermann [8] also emphasise the need to work on the emotional state and level of emotional eating among others, indicating these variables as key for weight management programmes and to prevent the weight gain. This finding is also in accordance with the current recommendations for interdisciplinary treatment (e.g., nutritionist and/or dietitian, physician, endocrinologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner) for people with excessive body mass [37,38].…”

“…This would allow to select for analysis a group of participants who eat similarly (e.g., three meals per day). Lastly, the next research should split data between normal weight and overweight individuals o find the difference and similarities between both groups with various BMI categories [8].…”

“…At this point, it should be added that in both groups (normal weight and excessive body weight), food can be used as a regulator of emotional state [2]. It has been confirmed by a study conducted among normal weight, overweight and obese individuals in which the main focus was related to high level of emotional eating, experienced emotions and emotional regulation [8]. It turns out that among participants with normal body weight and those who are obese, a persistent tendency to regulate their emotional state using food is observed.…”

“…The above-mentioned variables were selected based on findings from the literature showing that: (1) various negative emotions promote snacking (pathways a) [19] and emotional eating (pathways b) [7,12], (2) stress induces snacking (pathways c) [19] and emotional eating (pathways d) [10,20,21], (3) emotional dysregulation contributes to snacking (pathways e) [22] and emotional eating (pathways e) [8,12,23,24], (4) emotional eating elicits increased BMI (pathway i) [2,12,20,25], and (5) unhealthy snacking is associated with a higher BMI (pathway h) [26]. Moreover, previous research has shown that emotional dysregulation in the form of depression affects the growth of BMI, but the variable mediating this relationship is emotional eating [25].…”