Eleanor J. Bryant

Psycho-markers of weight loss. The roles of TFEQ Disinhibition and Restraint in exercise-induced weight management.

Eating behaviour traits, namely Disinhibition and Restraint, have the potential to exert an effect on food intake and energy balance. The effectiveness of exercise as a method of weight management could be influenced by these traits. Fifty eight overweight and obese participants completed 12-weeks of supervised exercise. Each participant was prescribed supervised exercise based on an expenditure of 500 kcal/session, 5d/week for 12-weeks. Following 12-weeks of exercise there was a significant reduction in mean body weight (-3.26±3.63 kg), fat mass (FM: -3.26±2.64 kg), BMI (-1.16±1.17 kg/m(2)) and waist circumference (WC: -5.0±3.23 cm). Regression analyses revealed a higher baseline Disinhibition score was associated with a greater reduction in BMI and WC, while Internal Disinhibition was associated with a larger decrease in weight, %FM and WC. Neither baseline Restraint or Hunger were associated with any of the anthropometric markers at baseline or after 12-weeks. Furthermore, after 12-weeks of exercise, a decrease in Disinhibition and increase in Restraint were associated with a greater reduction in WC, whereas only Restraint was associated with a decrease in weight. Post-hoc analysis of the sub-factors revealed a decrease in External Disinhibition and increase in Flexible Restraint were associated with weight loss. However, an increase in Rigid Restraint was associated with a reduction in %FM and WC. These findings suggest that exercise-induced weight loss is more marked in individuals with a high level of Disinhibition. These data demonstrate the important roles that Disinhibition and Restraint play in the relationship between exercise and energy balance.

Interaction between Disinhibition and restraint: Implications for body weight and eating disturbance

An increase in obesity is usually accompanied by an increase in eating disturbances. Susceptibility to these states may arise from different combinations of underlying traits: Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Restraint and Disinhibition. Two studies were conducted to examine the interaction between these traits; one on-line study (n=351) and one laboratory-based study (n=120). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and provided self-report measures of body weight and physical activity. A combination of high Disinhibition and high Restraint was associated with a problematic eating behaviour profile (EAT-26), and a higher rate of smoking and alcohol consumption. A combination of high Disinhibition and low Restraint was associated with a higher susceptibility to weight gain and a higher sedentary behaviour. These data show that different combinations of Disinhibition and Restraint are associated with distinct weight and behaviour outcomes.

The Significance of Hair for Face Recognition

Hair is a feature of the head that frequently changes in different situations. For this reason much research in the area of face perception has employed stimuli without hair. To investigate the effect of the presence of hair we used faces with and without hair in a recognition task. Participants took part in trials in which the state of the hair either remained consistent (Same) or switched between learning and test (Switch). It was found that in the Same trials performance did not differ for stimuli presented with and without hair. This implies that there is sufficient information in the internal features of the face for optimal performance in this task. It was also found that performance in the Switch trials was substantially lower than in the Same trials. This drop in accuracy when the stimuli were switched suggests that faces are represented in a holistic manner and that manipulation of the hair causes disruption to this, with implications for the interpretation of some previous studies.

The Muslim Headscarf and Face Perception: “They All Look the Same, Don't They?”

The headscarf conceals hair and other external features of a head (such as the ears). It therefore may have implications for the way in which such faces are perceived. Images of faces with hair (H) or alternatively, covered by a headscarf (HS) were used in three experiments. In Experiment 1 participants saw both H and HS faces in a yes/no recognition task in which the external features either remained the same between learning and test (Same) or switched (Switch). Performance was similar for H and HS faces in both the Same and Switch condition, but in the Switch condition it dropped substantially compared to the Same condition. This implies that the mere presence of the headscarf does not reduce performance, rather, the change between the type of external feature (hair or headscarf) causes the drop in performance. In Experiment 2, which used eye-tracking methodology, it was found that almost all fixations were to internal regions, and that there was no difference in the proportion of fixations to external features between the Same and Switch conditions, implying that the headscarf influenced processing by virtue of extrafoveal viewing. In Experiment 3, similarity ratings of the internal features of pairs of HS faces were higher than pairs of H faces, confirming that the internal and external features of a face are perceived as a whole rather than as separate components.

Interaction between Disinhibition and Restraint: Implications for body weight and eating disturbance

An increase in obesity is usually accompanied by an increase in eating disturbances. Susceptibility to these states may arise from different combinations of underlying traits: Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Restraint and Disinhibition. Two studies were conducted to examine the interaction between these traits; one on-line study (n=351) and one laboratory-based study (n=120). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and provided self-report measures of body weight and physical activity. A combination of high Disinhibition and high Restraint was associated with a problematic eating behaviour profile (EAT-26), and a higher rate of smoking and alcohol consumption. A combination of high Disinhibition and low Restraint was associated with a higher susceptibility to weight gain and a higher sedentary behaviour. These data show that different combinations of Disinhibition and Restraint are associated with distinct weight and behaviour outcomes.

The Interaction Between Exercise, Appetite, and Food Intake: Implications for Weight Control

Exercise could indirectly affect body weight by exerting changes on various components of appetite control, including nutrient and taste preferences, meal size and frequency, and the drive to eat. This review summarizes the evidence on how exercise affects appetite and eating behavior and in particular answers the question, “Does exercise induce an increase in food intake to compensate for the increase in energy expenditure?” Evidence will be presented to demonstrate that there is no automatic increase in food intake in response to acute exercise and that the response to repeated exercise is variable. The review will also identify areas of further study required to explain the variability. One limitation with studies that assess the efficacy of exercise as a method of weight control is that only mean data are presented—the individual variability tends to be overlooked. Recent evidence highlights the importance of characterizing the individual variability by demonstrating exercise-induced changes in appetite. Individuals who experience lower than theoretically predicted reductions in body weight can be characterized by hedonic (eg, pleasure) and homeostatic (eg, hunger) features.

Binge Eating, Disinhibition and Obesity

Obese individuals, especially those who are morbidly obese, are more likely to binge-eat and to express disinhibition, a trait which characterizes very opportunistic eating behaviour and signifies a constant readiness to eat. We argue in this chapter that binge eating and disinhibition are evolved mechanisms for dealing with one of the most fundamental of insecurities, that of food, especially in seasonal and unpredictable environments. It is only in recent decades in industrialized nations, with improved food security and the emergence of obesity at the population level, that such mechanisms have become detrimental in terms of health outcomes and have been medically pathologized. Binge eating and disinhibition are no longer responses to uncertainty in food availability as they would have been across evolutionary history, or in parts of the world where there continues to be food insecurity. Rather, there may be other types of uncertainty and insecurity that lead to disinhibited eating and binge eating as evolutionarily based responses to stress which can lead to obesity, and there is scope for clinical practice to give greater emphasis to such responses as higher-level factors that structure health and illness. These would include stress-inducing factors at work and in everyday life.

Disinhibition, Appetite, and Weight Regulation in Adults

Disinhibition (measured by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire; Stunkard and Messick 1985) is an influential and dynamic eating behavior trait. Its importance in the field of eating behavior is becoming increasingly apparent. The objective of this chapter is to explore the etiology of Disinhibition, and its association with appetite regulation, weight status, and eating disturbances through homeostatic and hedonic processes. In addition, the application of this knowledge to other areas of health will be addressed. More specifically, this will focus on how Disinhibition could be used to identify individuals susceptible to weight gain and disturbed eating behavior, and how management of Disinhibition could be beneficial in both weight loss regimes and in treating eating disorders. Trait Disinhibition is characterized by a readiness to eat or to eat opportunistically, and thus is associated with a higher BMI and obesity. It has been demonstrated that high Disinhibition is predictive of a poorer success at weight loss and is associated with weight regain following weight loss, a low physical activity level, low self esteem, and poor psychological health. In addition, Disinhibition has been implicated in eating disorders and is associated with eating disorder severity. Disinhibition is thus a powerful trait that incorporates both psychological and physiological components which appear to influence an individual’s eating behavior and lifestyle choices.

Perceptions and experiences of early-adopting registered dietitians in integrating nutrigenomics into practice

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions and experiences of early adopters of the technology. Design/methodology/approach Registered dietitians (RDs) (n=14) were recruited from the UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Mexico and Israel. Six qualitative interviews and two focus groups were conducted online using a conference calling platform. Data were recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed. Findings Early adopters of nutrigenomics (NGx) were experienced, self-efficacious RDs who actively sought knowledge of NGx through communication with one another and the broader scientific community. They considered NGx an extension of current practice and believed RDs had the skills to deliver it. Perceived barriers to widening the application of NGx were linked to skepticism among the wider dietetics community. Proliferation of unregulated websites offering tests and diets was considered “pseudoscience” and detrimental to dietetics fully embracing NGx. Lack of a sustainable public health model for the delivery of NGx was also perceived to hinder progress. Results are discussed with reference to “diffusion of innovation theory.” Originality/value The views of RDs who practice NGx have not been previously studied. These data highlight requirements for future dietetic training provision and more inclusive service delivery models. Regulation of NGx services and formal recognition by professional bodies is needed to address the research/practice translation gap. Further research is required to inquire as to the views of the wider dietetics profession.

Effects of a 3-month vigorous physical activity intervention on eating behaviors and body composition in overweight and obese boys and girls

Purpose This study aims to analyze the effects of a 3-month vigorous physical activity (VPA) intervention on eating behavior and body composition in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Methods Forty-seven participants (7–16 years) took part in the study: 28 were assigned to the intervention group (IG) (10 boys and 18 girls) and 19 in a control group (CG) (8 boys and 11 girls). Body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), anthropometrics (body mass, height, and body mass index (BMI)), and eating behavior traits (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21C) were determined before and after the VPA intervention. Results A decrease in the percentage of body fat and BMI (−2.8% and −1.8%, respectively), and an increase in most lean mass variables were found in the IG (all p ≤ 0.05). In relation to the eating behavior traits, IG subjects showed a 14% reduction in the Emotional Eating score (p = 0.04), while Cognitive Restraint score did not change after the VPA intervention. The baseline factors of the questionnaire predicted changes in body mass and fat mass variables only in the CG. Conclusion A 3-month VPA intervention influenced eating behaviors of overweight or obese young, especially the Emotional Eating factor, in the presence of favorable body composition changes.