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The effect of food and weight‐related cues on physiological stress measures in premenopausal women differing in their levels of cognitive dietary restraint
Author(s) -
Sanghera Mandeep K.,
Linden Wolfgang,
Bedford Jennifer L.,
Barr Susan I.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.lb286
Subject(s) - anxiety , stressor , cognition , depression (economics) , psychology , anthropometry , physiology , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
Cognitive dietary restraint (CDR) reflects a perception of constantly monitoring or attempting to limit food intake to control weight. Higher cortisol levels have been observed in women with high vs low CDR. This study assessed whether food and weight‐related cues differentially activate the physiological stress response in 70 healthy women aged 19–35 with low (0–5; n=35) or high (13–21; n=35) scores on the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Restraint subscale. Participants completed questionnaires on eating attitudes, stress, anxiety, depression and physical activity (PA) in the presence of food temptations. Concurrently, blood pressure, heart rate and salivary cortisol measures were obtained every 15 min for 90 min. Results showed significant between‐group differences in eating attitudes while anthropometric, general perceived stress, anxiety, depression and PA variables were similar. Although women with high CDR perceived the protocol as more stressful, physiological measures did not differ by CDR level. Participants also provided 4 saliva samples collected within 1 hr of awakening to assess the awakening cortisol response (ACR); no between‐group differences were observed. In conclusion, women with high and low CDR had similar physiological stress responses after cue exposure; however, this may have been the result of a weak stressor. Supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research 79563.