title: Examining women's perceptions of their mother's and romantic partner's interpersonal styles for a better understanding of their eating regulation and intuitive eating.
abstract: Intuitive eating is a positive approach to weight and eating management characterized by a strong reliance on internal physiological hunger and satiety cues rather than emotional and external cues (e.g., Tylka, 2006). Using a Self-Determination Theory framework (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the main purpose of this research was to examine the role played by both the mother and the romantic partner in predicting women's intuitive eating. Participants were 272 women (mean age: 29.9 years) currently involved in a heterosexual romantic relationship. Mothers and romantic partners were both found to have a role to play in predicting women's intuitive eating via their influence on women's motivation for regulating eating behaviors. Specifically, both the mother's and partner's controlling styles were found to predict women's controlled eating regulation, which was negatively related to their intuitive eating. In addition, autonomy support from the partner (but not from the mother) was found to positively predict intuitive eating, and this relationship was mediated by women's more autonomous regulation toward eating. These results were uncovered while controlling for women's body mass index, which is likely to affect women's eating attitudes and behaviors. Overall, these results attest to the importance of considering women's social environment (i.e., mother and romantic partner) for a better understanding of their eating regulation and ability to eat intuitively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada. Electronic address: noemie.carbonneau@uqtr.ca.
authors.forename: Noémie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carbonneau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, 2440 Boul. Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carbonneau
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Mélynda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cantin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gagnon-Girouard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D019545:Intuition; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009035:Mothers; D009042:Motivation; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011792:Quebec; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autonomy support; Controlling interpersonal style; Eating regulation; Intuitive eating; Self-Determination Theory