Urge to Eat and Body Mass Index: Exploring the Association with Diffuse and Defined Emotions
Géraldine Vitellius1,2, Aude-Marie Foucaut3,4, Sabrina Julien-Sweerts5
1Performance, Health, Metrology, Society Laboratory, UR 7507, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France.
Obesity Facts
|December 30, 2025
Summary
Emotional eating is linked to higher Body Mass Index (BMI). Diffuse emotions, like feeling abandoned, were more strongly associated with eating urges in individuals with obesity compared to defined emotions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Nutrition Science
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Emotional eating is prevalent in individuals with obesity.
- It predicts increased Body Mass Index (BMI).
- Understanding emotions driving eating urges is crucial for weight management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify emotions linked to the urge to eat across different Body Mass Index (BMI) levels.
- To investigate the relationship between specific emotions and eating behaviors in individuals with varying weight status.
Main Methods:
- Adult participants completed an online questionnaire assessing emotional eating (Emotional Eating Scale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire - DEBQ).
- Data included eating disorder history, body weight status, and socio-demographic information.
- Participants were categorized by Body Mass Index (BMI) into normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups.
Main Results:
- The urge to eat occurred more frequently in response to diffuse emotions than defined emotions, irrespective of sex and BMI.
- Emotional eating frequency positively correlated with BMI across all investigated emotions.
- The emotion 'depressed/discouraged' and the diffuse emotion 'feeling abandoned' were particularly associated with higher BMI and obesity.
Conclusions:
- Diffuse emotions, such as 'feeling abandoned,' are significantly linked to emotional eating in individuals with obesity.
- Clinical interventions for obesity should consider exploring and addressing diffuse emotional states.
- Targeting diffuse emotions may be a key strategy in managing emotional eating and weight.
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