Interactive effects of stress, dietary restraint, and disinhibition on appetite

Previous laboratory studies of disinhibited eating in response to stress have had varied outcomes. Since recent research implies that disinhibited eating might be observed when using the Thre-Factor Eating Questionnaire restraint (TFEQ-R) measure when scores on the TFEQ disinhibition (TFEQ-D) scale were also used, the present study investigated the disinhibitory effects of stress on eating in women classified using both TFEQ-R [high R (HR) vs. low R (LR)] and TFEQ-D [high D (HD) vs. low D (LD)] scores. Twenty women in each restraint (R) or disinhibition (D) combination were tested in either a stress or no-stress condition followed by a test lunch. Women classified as LR-HD consumed more than the other groups in the no-stress condition and reduced intake in response to stress, whereas HR-HD and LR-LD both ate more in the stress than no-stress conditions. HD consumed more sweet foods regardless of stress, whereas HR ate less savoury foods than LR. Mood data confirmed the success of the stress manipulation on affective state and also suggested that HD were more responsive to stress. Overall, these data imply that tendency to overeat, as measured by the TFEQ-D scale, is a better predictor than restraint in predicting short-term eating in response to stress.