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Food Insecurity is Associated with Maladaptive Eating Behaviors and Objectively Measured Overeating
Author(s) -
Stinson Emma J.,
Votruba Susanne B.,
Venti Colleen,
Perez Marisol,
Krakoff Jonathan,
Gluck Marci E.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22305
Subject(s) - overeating , calorie , disinhibition , obesity , medicine , binge eating , food security , weight gain , environmental health , demography , body weight , psychiatry , biology , ecology , agriculture , sociology
Objective The association between food insecurity and obesity may be partially explained by overeating in response to unpredictable food availability cycles. The aim of this study was to measure objective food intake in food‐insecure individuals. Methods Eighty‐two volunteers (53 m; BMI 29 ± 7; 38 ± 12 years) were admitted to our inpatient Clinical Research Unit and completed the Food Security Short Form, Three‐Factor Eating Questionnaire, Gormally Binge Eating Scale, and body composition assessment (dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry). After 5 days of a weight‐maintaining diet, participants self‐selected food from an ad libitum vending machine paradigm for 3 days. Mean daily intake (kilocalories), macronutrient intake, and percentage of weight‐maintaining energy needs (%WMEN) were calculated. Results Based on Food Security Short Form cutoffs, food‐insecure participants ( n = 46; 56%) had higher body weight ( P = 0.04), fat‐free mass ( P = 0.05), disinhibition ( P = 0.008), hunger ( P = 0.02), and binge‐eating scores ( P = 0.02) but not cognitive restraint ( P = 0.37) compared with food‐secure individuals. They overate more kilocalories ( P = 0.001), %WMEN ( P = 0.003), fat ( P = 0.003), and carbohydrates ( P = 0.004) during the vending machine paradigm, continued to increase their hourly rate of kilocalories (group × time; β = 37.7 cumulative kcal/h; P < 0.0001), and ate more total kilocalories across the 72 hours (β = 47.09 kcal/h; P = 0.003). Conclusions Food insecurity may amplify susceptibility to weight gain via overeating during times of unlimited food access.