Emotional and external eating styles associated with obesity

BACKGROUND: Obesity is related to eating habits. Overeating is the most behavioural trait implicated in obesity; emotional, external and rigid restrained eating are three maladaptive eating habits that are associated to overeating. OBJECTIVES: The current study assesses the eating styles of Algerian adults. It identifies and analyses differences in eating styles in a sample from adults with normal BMI and who have obesity. The study examines the relationship between eating styles and BMI. METHODS: The sample consisted of 200 volunteers aged from 31 to 62 years old, 110 with obesity and 90 having normal BMI. The participants were recruited from hospital and university employees. They were questioned about their eating habits. The participants did not receive any treatment. To assess eating styles, participants completed the DEBQ. RESULTS: The prevalence of women was in the majority, representing 61% (n = 122) in the total sample (63.63% (n = 70) with obesity, and 55.77% (n = 52) with normal BMI). The prevalence of men represents 39% (n = 78) in the total sample (36.36% (n = 40) with obesity, and 42.22% (n = 38) with normal BMI). Participants with obesity showed pathological eating styles. They scored higher on emotional and external eating styles than to normal BMI group. However, restraint eating showed a slight no significant increase. The mean scores ± standard deviations observed in each eating styles were: emotional eating (2.88 ± 0.99** vs. 1.71 ± 0.32), external eating (3.31 ± 0.68** vs. 1.96 ± 0.29), and retrained eating (1.81 ± 0.7(ns) vs. 1.3 ± 0.30). The linear regression analysis showed an effect of emotional and external eating on BMI. CONCLUSION: These results could be used to provide clinical information at the initial screening for obesity criteria, obesity prevention and treatment.