Overeating Risk in Overweight Young Women Is Divided into Two Types According to Appetite and Eating Behavior

The problem of obesity in young women leads to future chronic diseases, effects on reproductive health, and next-generation obesity. Thus, it is necessary to provide effective support for these women's behavioral change. The purpose of this study was to evaluate dietary-related indicators to clarify the appetite and eating behavior problems among young women. Healthy women 18-39 years of age were enrolled. Interoceptive awareness (IA) was quantified using a heartbeat perception task score. Eating behavior was examined in three ways: Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), visual analog scales of subjective appetite sensations, and a food consumption test. In all, 15 participants who were overweight and 50 with normal weight were analyzed. The overweight women were clustered into two groups according to the heartbeat perception task score: a low-score group (women with overweight who have low IA [OW-LOW]) and high-score group (women with overweight who have high IA [OW-HIGH]). The OW-LOW group had significantly smaller intermeal changes in hunger score compared with women with normal weight. The disinhibition score on the TFEQ for the OW-HIGH group was significantly higher than the normal-weight women, and the prospective consumption score in the fasting condition was significantly higher in women with normal weight and a high heartbeat perception task score. Overweight young women were characterized into two groups with different appetite and eating behavior, which is connected to the risk of overeating. An appetite characteristic is associated with a high risk of obesity among the normal-weight population. Individualized interventions tailored to the IA levels may help in improving and preventing obesity.