Development of Novel Eating Error Scoring Tool to Evaluate Adult Eating Behavior Anomalies Among the United Arab Emirates Population

Introduction Maladaptive eating behaviors are emerging as the most significant determinants of obesity with a promising role in intervention. In the absence of a standardized tool to assess eating variations, an Eating Error Score (EES) tool was devised which comprised five zones for evaluating the severity of obesogenic behaviors as well as the specific area(s) with the highest susceptibility. This pilot study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the EES in quantitating the eating behavior errors associated with excess weight and identifying the most affected zones. Methods The EES questionnaire was designed to explore potential disturbances in five zones of eating behavior related to the impetus to eat (Munger), meal choices and attentiveness to cravings (Impulsive), consumption speed (Speed feeding), cues to stop ingestion (Indulgent) and the social aspect of eating (Relationship). The questionnaire was conducted on adults with varying body mass index (BMI) attending governmental outpatient clinics. The correlation between EES and BMI was determined through Pearson Coefficient. Results A total of 204 participants completed the EES questionnaire. There were 72 males and 132 females with a mean BMI of 27.63 ± 6.16 kg/m(2) and with nearly equal distribution between normal weight (37.2%), overweight (32.4%), and obese (29.4%) individuals. Nearly 75% of our cohort had a moderate total EES, and the remainder was equally distributed between the mild and severe ranges. A weak but significant correlation was observed between total EES and BMI (r=0.275, p<0.001) suggesting increasing obesogenic styles in participants with excess weight. In addition, a similar weak but significant correlation was noted between Body Mass Index and the Munger and Impulsive zones (r=0.266 and 0.258 and p<0.001, respectively) suggesting more severe maladaptive eating behaviors in these areas. No correlation was found with the Speed feeding, Indulgent, and Relationship zones. Conclusion The EES may be a useful tool for assessing the extent of maladaptive eating behaviors, which predispose individuals to weight gain and sabotage their weight loss efforts. Undoubtedly, the utility of the tool needs to be corroborated in large population studies. Further, identifying the specific operant zones may show promise as many of these habits are potentially modifiable and can be targeted for weight control, most notably those associated with the Munger and Impulsive zones.