Predictors for Being Obese/Overweight
Regression analysis shows that both restrained and emotional eating are
predictors of obesity/overweight and restrained eating is a stronger
predictor compared to emotional eating. As a result, restrained eating
is a more important factor than emotional eating for high BMI. However,
it must be considered that evaluation of restrained eating in our study
are based on self reports. Therefore, although participants’ responses
provide information about their efforts for eating less, there is no
quantitative information about real calorie intakes. Unlike long fasting
periods and overeating attacks in bulimia nervosa (37), in obese people,
calorie restriction may be only on cognitive level. Restrained eating
pattern could only be a diet attempt caused by stress factors associated
with having a high BMI. On the other hand, considering positive
correlation between emotional eating and depression/anxiety scores,
emotional eating can be regarded as a more maladaptive behaviour
compared to restrained eating in obesity.