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Emotion and eating in obesity? A critical analysis
Author(s) -
Allison David B.,
Heshka Stanley
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(199304)13:3<289::aid-eat2260130307>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - psychology , obesity , developmental psychology , medicine , endocrinology
Psychosomatic theories hold that the obese abnormally increase eating in response to emotional distress. Empirical support for this assertion has come mainly from self‐report studies. A review of the literature for methodological rigor reveals that many studies previously considered supportive are substantially flawed with regard to control groups, failure to control Type‐1 error rate, and the possibility of confounding of social desirability and other response sets with self‐reports of emotional eating. Five alternative conceptualizations of the obesity‐emotional eating association are presented along with suggested research which would elucidate the nature of this frequently reported connection. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.