Intake of energy is best predicted by overeating tendency and consumption of fat is best predicted by dietary restraint: a 4-year follow-up of patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

The present study addressed the possible mediating effects of overeating tendencies in (a) the relationship of dietary restraint with intake of energy and (b) the relationships of changes in dietary restraint and changes in intake of energy and (saturated) fat across a 4-year period. Participants were patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Dietary restraint and overeating tendencies (emotional and external eating) were measured with the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ). Intake of energy and (saturated) fat were measured with a Food Frequency Questionnaire. As expected, inverse relations of restrained eating with energy intake became higher as more variance associated with the overeating tendencies was partialled out. At the 4-year follow-up decrease in external eating were associated with decreases in intake of energy and fat, whereas increases in restrained eating were associated with decreases in intake of fat and saturated fat. Emotional eating did not change at 4 years, nor did it significantly explain variance in change in any of the food intake measures.