Effects of regular self-weighing on weight management: restrained and unrestrained eaters in first-year university.

Obesity poses a global health concern. Prevention has emphasized the utility of weight monitoring, but its effect on restrained eaters is unstudied. This study examined the interactive effects of self-weighing and restrained eating on the body mass index of first-year university students over a three-month period. Participants (N = 100) were randomized into one of three groups: Group 1 (n = 36) weighed themselves daily; Group 2 (n = 31) weighed themselves weekly; and Group 3 (n = 33) measured their heart rate weekly. Results revealed that weekly weighing assisted in weight control among restrained eaters, while daily weighing led to significant weight gain (p = 0.003). There was modest support for the utility of regular weighing to assist in the prevention of weight gain among unrestrained eaters. Overall findings suggest that interventions designed to aid in weight control should be implemented judiciously. Further consideration of individual differences may ultimately help to tailor clinical and public health recommendations aimed at weight management.

Effects of regular self-weighing on weight management: restrained and unrestrained eaters in first-year university.

Obesity poses a global health concern. Prevention has emphasized the utility of weight monitoring, but its effect on restrained eaters is unstudied. This study examined the interactive effects of self-weighing and restrained eating on the body mass index of first-year university students over a three-month period. Participants (N = 100) were randomized into one of three groups: Group 1 (n = 36) weighed themselves daily; Group 2 (n = 31) weighed themselves weekly; and Group 3 (n = 33) measured their heart rate weekly. Results revealed that weekly weighing assisted in weight control among restrained eaters, while daily weighing led to significant weight gain (p = 0.003). There was modest support for the utility of regular weighing to assist in the prevention of weight gain among unrestrained eaters. Overall findings suggest that interventions designed to aid in weight control should be implemented judiciously. Further consideration of individual differences may ultimately help to tailor clinical and public health recommendations aimed at weight management.

Effect of HIIT versus MICT on body composition and energy intake in dietary restrained and unrestrained adolescents with obesity

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been suggested as an effective alternative to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) that can yield improvements in a variety of health outcomes. Yet, despite the urgent need to find effective strategies for the treatment of pediatric obesity, only a few studies have addressed the impact of HIIT on eating behaviors and body composition in this population. This study aimed to compare the effect of HIIT versus MICT on eating behaviors in adolescents with obesity and to assess if the participants’ baseline dietary status is associated with the success of the intervention. Forty-three adolescents with obesity were randomly assigned to a 16-week MICT or HIIT intervention. Body composition and 24-h ad libitum energy intake were assessed at baseline and at the end of the program. Restrained eating, emotional eating, and external eating were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire at baseline. Both interventions led to significant weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass percentage (FM%) reductions, with better improvements in FM% in the HIIT group; whereas 24-h ad libitum energy intake increased to a similar extent in both groups. HIIT provides better body composition improvements over MICT, despite a similar increase in energy intake. Restrained eaters experienced less weight loss and smaller BMI reduction compared with unrestrained eaters; higher baseline cognitively restrained adolescents showed a greater increase of their ad libitum energy intake. Novelty HIIT favors better body composition improvements compared with MICT. Both MICT and HIIT increased ad libitum energy intake in adolescents with obesity. Weight loss achievement is better among unrestrained eaters.

When Pizza Doesn’t Sound as Good as Usual: Restrained Versus Unrestrained Eaters’ Responses to Gluten-Free Menu Items

Increasing demand for gluten-free foods is driving restaurants to add gluten-free menu items. However, it remains unclear how gluten-free labels affect food consumption and overall evaluations of a dining experience. We conducted two studies to fill this gap. Results from Study 1 suggest that unrestrained eaters (i.e., people with low levels of dietary restraint) expect to decrease their food consumption when a menu item bears a gluten-free cue, whereas restrained eaters (i.e., people with high levels of dietary restraint) do not show such an effect. This negative impact of a gluten-free cue on consumption among unrestrained eaters is mediated by expected taste. Results from Study 2 show that when a gluten-free purchase is incentivized with immediate incentives (i.e., price discounts), an increase in dietary restraint leads to a heightened salience of a health goal. Such an effect is attenuated with delayed incentives (i.e., redeemable points). The health goal salience mediates the impact of dietary restraint on anticipated satisfaction with a gluten-free dining experience incentivized with immediate rewards. This research contributes to the hospitality literature and the broader literature on food consumption. Moreover, our findings suggest that managers need to focus on clearly communicating the appealing taste of gluten-free foods and aim at activating a health goal among unrestrained eaters.