UMass Worcester PRC Publications
Title
Trait anxiety, but not trait anger, predisposes obese individuals to emotional eating
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine
Publication Date
2010-12
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adult; *Affect; *Anger; *Anxiety; *Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Feeding Behavior; Female; Humans; Hyperphagia; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity; Young Adult
Disciplines
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Community Health | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health | Public Health Education and Promotion
Abstract
The present study examined whether trait anxiety and trait anger are associated with vulnerability to emotional eating, particularly among obese individuals. Lean (n = 37) and obese (n = 24) participants engaged in a laboratory study where they completed measures of trait anxiety and trait anger at screening and then completed 3 counterbalanced experimental sessions involving different mood inductions (neutral, anxiety, anger). Following each mood induction, participants were provided with snack foods in a sham taste test. Models predicting snack intake revealed a significant trait anxietyxbody mass index group interaction, such that high trait anxiety was positively associated with food intake for obese individuals, but not their lean counterparts. Contrary to the hypothesis, trait anger was not associated with food intake for obese or lean participants. Results suggest that trait anxiety may be a risk factor for emotional eating among obese individuals.
Keywords
Emotional eating, Trait anxiety, Trait anger, Obesity
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.appet.2010.10.006
Source
Schneider KL, Appelhans BM, Whited MC, Oleski J, Pagoto SL. Trait anxiety, but not trait anger, predisposes obese individuals to emotional eating. Appetite. 2010 Dec;55(3):701-6. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.10.006. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Appetite
Related Resources
PubMed ID
20959131
Repository Citation
Schneider, Kristin L.; Appelhans, Bradley M.; Whited, Matthew C.; Oleski, Jessica L.; and Pagoto, Sherry L., "Trait anxiety, but not trait anger, predisposes obese individuals to emotional eating" (2010). UMass Worcester PRC Publications. 37.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/prc_pubs/37
