Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
How does thinking in Black and White terms relate to eating behavior and weight regain?
Aikaterini Palascha1, Ellen van Kleef2, Hans C M van Trijp2
1Wageningen University, The Netherlands katpalascha@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
This study explores the role of dichotomous thinking on eating behavior and its association with restraint eating and weight regain in a wide range of people. In a web-based survey with 241 adults, dichotomous thinking and behavioral outcomes related to eating (restraint eating, weight regain, body mass index, dieting) were assessed. Results showed that eating-specific dichotomous thinking (dichotomous beliefs about food and eating) mediates the association between restraint eating and weight regain. We conclude that holding dichotomous beliefs about food and eating may be linked to a rigid dietary restraint, which in turn impedes people's ability to maintain a healthy weight.
Related Concept Videos
Binge Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Regression Toward the Mean
Bulimia Nervosa
Self-Regulation
Instinctive Drift

