Kathryn E Smith1, Shannon M O'Connor2, Tyler B Mason3, Shirlene Wang3, Eldin Dzubur4, Ross D Crosby5,6, Stephen A Wonderlich5,6, Sarah-Jeanne Salvy7, Denise M Feda8, James N Roemmich9. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 3. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. 4. Livongo Health, Mountain View, California, USA. 5. Sanford Center for Bio-Behavioral Research, Sanford Health, Fargo, North Dakota, USA. 6. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, North Dakota, USA. 7. Research Center for Health Equity, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA. 8. Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA. 9. Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Emotional eating is associated with obesity, though less is known regarding factors that predict emotional eating episodes in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or total activity counts 60 minutes prior to psychological stress predicted stress-related eating and positive emotional eating (ie, eating while happy), and whether adiposity (z-BMI) moderated these associations. METHODS: Participants were drawn from a prior study of siblings (N = 77; mean age = 15.4 ± 1.4 years) discordant for weight status (39 non-overweight siblings, 38 siblings with overweight/obesity) who completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol with accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity. RESULTS: Greater MVPA was associated with lower stress-related eating across the sample. Lower total activity (between-person effects) and lower MVPA (within-person effects) were associated with greater stress-related eating for siblings with greater z-BMI. Greater total activity was associated with lower positive emotional eating for siblings with lower z-BMI (between- and within-person). CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate potential regulating effects of prior physical activity on emotional eating at the individual and momentary level, though there are nuances depending on z-BMI. Future work is needed to examine underlying mechanisms and timescale of effects, and particularly the extent to which enhancing MVPA time among youth with z-BMI may mitigate momentary risk of stress-related eating episodes.
BACKGROUND: Emotional eating is associated with obesity, though less is known regarding factors that predict emotional eating episodes in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or total activity counts 60 minutes prior to psychological stress predicted stress-related eating and positive emotional eating (ie, eating while happy), and whether adiposity (z-BMI) moderated these associations. METHODS:Participants were drawn from a prior study of siblings (N = 77; mean age = 15.4 ± 1.4 years) discordant for weight status (39 non-overweight siblings, 38 siblings with overweight/obesity) who completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol with accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity. RESULTS: Greater MVPA was associated with lower stress-related eating across the sample. Lower total activity (between-person effects) and lower MVPA (within-person effects) were associated with greater stress-related eating for siblings with greater z-BMI. Greater total activity was associated with lower positive emotional eating for siblings with lower z-BMI (between- and within-person). CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate potential regulating effects of prior physical activity on emotional eating at the individual and momentary level, though there are nuances depending on z-BMI. Future work is needed to examine underlying mechanisms and timescale of effects, and particularly the extent to which enhancing MVPA time among youth with z-BMI may mitigate momentary risk of stress-related eating episodes.
Authors: Jessica L Unick; Kelley Strohacker; George D Papandonatos; David Williams; Kevin C O'Leary; Leah Dorfman; Katie Becofsky; Rena R Wing Journal: J Sport Exerc Psychol Date: 2015-10 Impact factor: 3.016