Emotional Eating Predicts Weight Regain Among Black Women in the SisterTalk Intervention

This study aimed to assess effects of emotional eating and stress on weight change among Black women in a culturally tailored weight-control program.

SisterTalk, a cable-TV-delivered weight-control randomized trial, included 331 Black women (aged 18-75 years; BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) in Boston, Massachusetts. BMI and waist circumference (WC) were assessed at baseline and 3, 8, and 12 months post randomization. Frequency of "eating when depressed or sad" (EWD) and "eating to manage stress" (ETMS) (i.e., "emotional eating") and perceived stress were also assessed. Lagged analyses of data for intervention participants (n = 258) assessed associations of BMI and WC outcomes at each follow-up visit with EWD and ETMS frequency and stress measured at the most recent prior visit.

At 3 months (immediately post intervention), BMI decreased for women in all EWD and ETMS categories but increased at later follow-up for women reporting EWD and ETMS always/often. In addition, 8-month EWD and ETMS predicted 12-month BMI change (both P < 0.05). Higher perceived stress was associated with higher EWD and ETMS; however, stress was not associated with lagged BMI or WC at any time.

Addressing emotional eating and related triggers may improve weight maintenance in interventions with Black women.