Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.

Attachment

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...

Binge Eating Disorders

Binge Eating Disorders

Binge eating disorder is a significant mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption within a short period, accompanied by a perceived loss of control over eating behavior. Unlike occasional overeating, binge eating disorder is marked by distressing emotions such as guilt, shame, and anxiety following binge episodes. The disorder affects individuals across different ages and backgrounds, with profound implications for physical and psychological...

Relationship Formation

Relationship Formation

What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Effects of mindfulness and mindful eating on food intake and appetite: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Clinical psychology review·2026

Same author

Unpacking weight management interventions measuring eating disorder risk in adults: coding of components of interventions in a systematic review.

Journal of eating disorders·2026

Same author

Maximising the benefits of mandatory calorie menu labelling in England.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026

Same author

Ultraprocessed foods and obesity: Interpreting the evidence.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Granuloma Drama.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·2026

Same author

Coffee shop menu calorie labelling: effects on beliefs, knowledge and behaviour and the role of food choice motives.

Appetite·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

Explaining the relationship between attachment anxiety, eating behaviour and BMI.

Laura L Wilkinson¹, Angela C Rowe², Eric Robinson³

¹Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.

|May 8, 2018

Summary

Attachment anxiety predicts overeating and higher BMI. This is mediated by emotional eating and difficulty managing emotions, suggesting targeted interventions for weight management.

Keywords:

Affect regulation Attachment anxiety Body weight Emotional eating

More Related Videos

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Published on: May 17, 2011

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Published on: May 8, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

Published on: July 19, 2017

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Published on: May 17, 2011

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Published on: May 8, 2018

Area of Science:

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Health Psychology

Background:

Attachment anxiety, characterized by fear of abandonment, is linked to overeating and increased body mass index (BMI).
The precise mechanisms connecting attachment anxiety to eating behaviors and weight require further elucidation.
Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing effective weight management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mediating roles of emotional eating, hunger susceptibility, and uncontrolled eating in the relationship between attachment anxiety and BMI (Study 1).
To examine whether difficulties in emotion regulation and stress-induced eating mediate the link between attachment anxiety and BMI (Study 2).

Main Methods:

Two cross-sectional online questionnaire studies (N=665 and N=548) were conducted with UK and US participants.
Attachment orientation, BMI, emotional eating, hunger susceptibility, uncontrolled eating, emotion regulation, and stress-induced eating were assessed.
Mediation analyses (PROCESS) were employed to examine the proposed pathways.

Main Results:

In Study 1, emotional eating and hunger susceptibility significantly mediated the association between attachment anxiety and BMI.
In Study 2, difficulties in engaging with goal-directed behaviors when upset and stress-induced eating serially mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and BMI.
Misperception of emotion was not a significant mediator.

Conclusions:

Attachment anxiety influences BMI through emotional eating and impaired emotion regulation, leading individuals to use food for comfort.
Interventions targeting attachment anxiety and emotion regulation skills may effectively reduce overeating and manage body weight.
These findings underscore the importance of psychological factors in obesity and weight-related health issues.