title: Effects of dietary restraint and body mass index on the relative reinforcing value of snack food.
abstract: The present study examined the independent and interactive association between dietary restraint, body mass index (BMI) and the relative reinforcing value of food. Four hundred and three introductory psychology students completed questionnaires assessing age, gender, BMI, hunger, smoking status, nicotine dependence, dietary restraint, hedonic ratings for snack food and fruits and vegetables and the relative reinforcing value of snack food and fruits and vegetables. In the overall sample, results indicated a dietary restraint x BMI interaction after controlling for age, hunger, nicotine dependence, and hedonics. However, when regression models were separated by gender, the BMI x restraint interaction emerged only for females and not for males. Findings suggest that BMI moderates the relationship between dietary restraint and snack food reinforcement in females only, such that restraint and snack food reinforcement are inversely correlated in females with lower BMI, but restraint is positively correlated with snack food reinforcement in females with higher BMI. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ggoldfield@cheo.on.ca
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Goldfield
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lumb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires