title: The effects of ovarian hormones and emotional eating on changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research has shown that fluctuations in ovarian hormones (i.e., estradiol and progesterone) predict the changes in binge eating and emotional eating across the menstrual cycle. However, the extent to which other eating disorder symptoms fluctuate across the menstrual cycle and are influenced by ovarian hormones remains largely unknown. This study sought to examine whether the levels of weight preoccupation vary across the menstrual cycle and whether the changes in ovarian hormones and/or other factors (i.e., emotional eating and negative affect) account for menstrual cycle fluctuations in this eating disorder phenotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 45 consecutive days, 352 women (age, 15-25 years) provided daily ratings of weight preoccupation, negative affect, and emotional eating. Saliva samples were also collected on a daily basis and assayed for levels of estradiol and progesterone using enzyme immunoassay techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weight preoccupation varied significantly across the menstrual cycle, with the highest levels in the premenstrual and menstrual phases. However, ovarian hormones did not account for within-person changes in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle. Instead, the most significant predictor of menstrual cycle changes in weight preoccupation was the change in emotional eating.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fluctuations in weight preoccupation across the menstrual cycle appear to be influenced primarily by emotional eating rather than ovarian hormones. Future research should continue to examine the relationships among ovarian hormones, weight preoccupation, emotional eating, and other core eating disorder symptoms (e.g., body dissatisfaction, compensatory behaviors) in an effort to more fully understand the role of these biological and behavioral factors for the full spectrum of eating pathology.
authors: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
authors: Britny A
authors: BA
authors: Hildebrandt
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Racine
authors: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors: Pamela K
authors: PK
authors: Keel
authors: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
authors: S Alexandra
authors: SA
authors: Burt
authors: Departments of Psychiatry, Human Genetics, and Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Neale
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Boker
authors: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.|Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
authors: Cheryl L
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4642-607X
authors: CL
authors: Sisk
authors: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
authors: Kelly L
authors: KL
authors: Klump
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012649:Self Concept; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: binge eating; bulimia nervosa; eating disorders; emotional eating; estradiol; menstrual cycle; ovarian hormones; progesterone; weight preoccupation