The Dieter's Inventory of Eating Temptations: a measure of weight control competence

This research reports the development and initial investigation of the reliability and validity of the Dieter's Inventory of Eating Temptations (DIET), a self-report inventory designed to assess behavioral competence in six types of situations related to weight control: (a) overeating, (b) negative emotions, (c) exercise, (d) resisting temptation, (e) positive social, and (f) food choice. The scales were shown to have adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency. A comparison of 193 normal weight and 168 overweight subjects showed that overweights rated themselves as less competent in the overeating, negative emotions, and exercise situations. As a further validation, DIET scores were compared with measures of eating style derived from self-monitoring records. All of the DIET scales were significantly associated with specific parameters of eating behavior. In order to identify subtypes of overweight and normal weight individuals, cluster analyses were performed. Normal weight and overweight subjects could be grouped into interpretable clusters based on their profile of DIET scores. These data suggest that there is a relationship between eating patterns and body weight, and that there may be several types of problem behavior patterns. Treatment programs should combined assessment of behavioral competency in energy balance situations with intensive skill training in areas where situation specific competency deficits are found.