María Teresa Sanfuentes

Eating behavior and personality: an exploratory analysis

An explonatory study on a university student sample (N = 67) shows that scores on Restraint, Disinhibition and Hunger of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) of Stunkard and Messick (1985) are not associated with EPQ and MMPI personality dimensions. However, Restraint and EPQ Psychoticism load on the same Varimax-rotated factor and low predictability of TFEQ factor scores was found for some MMPI scales. Restraint and Disinhibition appeared significantly intercorrelated in the whole sample and in the sex-based subsamples. It is suggested that TFEQ scores are complementary to personality tests in the evaluation of eating behavior disorders.

Eating behaviour, gender, and body mass index

The administration of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) of Stunkard & Messick to a sample of university students indicates that, whereas in women self-reported body mass index (BMI, weight/height2) is positively correlated with Restraint, in men it is positively correlated with Disinhibition and Hunger. Male and female subsamples did not differ in personality characteristics, age, or actual scores of eating behaviour dimensions. A significant positive correlation between Disinhibition and Hunger was confirmed. These results are discussed in terms of differential awareness of eating habits in the two sexes.