Pre-meal affective state and laboratory test meal intake in adolescent girls with loss of control eating

Loss of control eating confers risk for excess weight gain and exacerbated disordered eating. Affect theory proposes that loss of control eating is used to cope with negative mood states. Self-report data suggest that negative affect may contribute to the etiology of loss of control eating, but this theory has not been well-tested using laboratory paradigms. We examined associations between pre-meal affective states and intake during a laboratory test meal. One-hundred and ten adolescent girls with reported loss of control eating whose body mass index fell between the 75th and 97th percentile for age and sex completed state mood ratings prior to a test-meal. Results indicated that pre-meal state negative affect was associated with greater carbohydrate and less protein consumption, as well as greater snack and dessert and less fruit and dairy intake. All girls experienced significant decreases in negative affect from pre- to post-meal, but intake during the meal was unassociated with post-meal affect. In support of affect theory, negative affective states reported among girls with loss of control may be a driving factor for increased energy-dense food intake, which may play a role in excess weight gain

Perceived Family Functioning in Relation to Energy Intake in Adolescent Girls with Loss of Control Eating

Family functioning is hypothesized to influence the development, maintenance, and treatment of obesity and eating disorders. However, there are limited data examining family functioning in relation to energy intake in the laboratory among youth at high-risk for eating disorders and excess weight gain. Therefore, we examined the relationship between perceived family functioning and energy intake during a laboratory test meal designed to model a binge episode. We performed hierarchical multiple regression analyses among 108 adolescent girls in an excess weight gain prevention trial. Participants were at high-risk for eating disorders and excess weight gain due to reports of loss of control eating (LOC) and high body mass index (BMI). Participants completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale III to assess family adaptability and cohesion. Following an overnight fast, girls consumed lunch from a laboratory test meal. Poorer family adaptability, but not cohesion, was associated with lower percentage of total energy intake from protein and greater percentage of total energy intake from carbohydrates. Neither adaptability nor cohesion were significantly associated with total intake. We conclude that among girls with LOC eating and high BMI, poor reported family adaptability is associated with greater consumption of obesity-promoting macronutrients during binge episodes. Directionality and temporality of this association between unhealthy consumption and family rigidity requires further study

Depressive symptoms and observed eating in youth

Depressive symptoms in youth may be a risk factor for obesity, with altered eating behaviors as one possible mechanism. We tested whether depressive symptoms were associated with observed eating patterns expected to promote excessive weight gain in two separate samples. In Study 1, 228 nontreatment- seeking youth, ages 12–17 y (15.3 ± 1.4 y; 54.7% female), self-reported depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory. Energy intake was measured as consumption from a 10,934-kcal buffet meal served at 11:00 am after an overnight fast. In Study 2, 204 non-treatment-seeking youth, ages 8–17 y (13.0 ± 2.8 y; 49.5% female), self-reported depressive symptoms using the Children’s Depression Inventory. Energy intake was measured as consumption from a 9835-kcal buffet meal served at 2:30 pm after a standard breakfast. In Study 1, controlling for body composition and other relevant covariates, depressive symptoms were positively related to total energy intake in girls and boys. In Study 2, adjusting for the same covariates, depressive symptoms among girls only were positively associated with total energy intake. Youth high in depressive symptoms and dietary restraint consumed the most energy from sweets. In both studies, the effects of depressive symptoms on intake were small. Nevertheless, depressive symptoms were associated with significantly greater consumption of total energy and energy from sweet snack foods, which, over time, could be anticipated to promote excess weight gain

Examination of the interpersonal model of loss of control eating in the laboratory

Background: The interpersonal model of loss of control (LOC) eating proposes that interpersonal problems lead to negative affect, which in turn contributes to the onset and/or persistence of LOC eating. Despite preliminary support, there are no data examining the construct validity of the interpersonal model of LOC eating using temporally sensitive reports of social stress, distinct negative affective states, and laboratory energy intake. Method: 117 healthy adolescent girls (BMI: 75th–97th %ile) were recruited for a prevention trial targeting excess weight gain in adolescent girls who reported LOC eating. Prior to the intervention, participants completed questionnaires of recent social stress and consumed lunch from a multi-item laboratory test meal. Immediately before the test meal, participants completed a questionnaire of five negative affective states (anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, anxiety). Bootstrapping mediation models were conducted to evaluate pre-meal negative affect states as explanatory mediators of the association between recent social stress and palatable (desserts and snack-type) food intake. All analyses adjusted for age, race, pubertal stage, height, fat mass percentage, and lean mass. Results: Pre-meal state anxiety was a significant mediator for recent social stress and palatable food intake (ps \u3c .05). By contrast, pre-meal state anger, confusion, depression, and fatigue did not mediate the relationship between social stress and palatable food intake (ps \u3e .05). Discussion: Pre-meal anxiety appears to be the salient mood state for the interpersonal model among adolescent girls with LOC eating. Interventions that focus on improving both social functioning and anxiety may prove most effective at preventing and/or ameliorating disordered eating and obesity in these adolescents

Laboratory assessment of the food intake of children and adolescents with loss of control eating12345

Background: Loss of control (LOC) eating in youth predicts excessive weight gain. However, few studies have measured the actual energy intake of children reporting LOC eating