Related Experiment Videos
On the relationship between emotional and external eating behavior
T Van Strien1, G M Schippers, W M Cox
1University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Addictive Behaviors
|September 1, 1995
Summary
This study found that emotional eating is linked to emotional distress and relationship issues, while external eating is not. The distinction between these eating behaviors is justified, supporting separate measurement scales.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Eating Behavior Research
Background:
- Emotional and external eating are related but measured separately in the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire.
- The justification for distinguishing between these two eating behaviors requires empirical investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if the distinction between emotional and external eating behaviors is empirically supported.
- To examine the relationships between emotional and external eating and emotional distress, stimulus-boundness, and substance use.
Main Methods:
- Self-report measures of emotional eating, external eating, emotional distress, stimulus-boundness, and substance use were collected.
- Data were analyzed in a sample of female students, including a subsample with overeating issues.
Main Results:
- No significant relationships were found between either emotional or external eating and substance use.
- The association between eating behaviors and stimulus-boundness diminished in the overeating subsample.
- Emotional eating strongly correlated with emotional distress and relationship problems, whereas external eating did not.
Conclusions:
- Emotional and external eating represent independent constructs, justifying their separate measurement.
- The findings support the use of distinct scales for assessing these theoretically different aspects of overeating.