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Self-reported dietary restraint is associated with elevated levels of salivary cortisol
Drew A Anderson1, Jennifer R Shapiro, Jennifer D Lundgren
1University at Albany, State University of New York, USA. drewa@csc.albany.edu
Abstract:
Previous studies have found inconsistent relationships between restrained eating, dieting, and cortisol. The present study was designed to clarify the relationship between self-reported restrained eating and cortisol using multiple measures of dietary restraint. Eighty-five college-age women completed the Restraint Scale (RS) and the Cognitive Restraint Scale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R) and provided a saliva sample for analysis of cortisol. Both measures of restraint were positively associated with elevated levels of salivary cortisol, although the TFEQ-R was more strongly associated than the RS. Restrained eating, characterized by largely unsuccessful efforts to control eating, may lead to elevated cortisol levels.