title: Is desire to eat in response to positive emotions an 'obese' eating style: Is Kummerspeck for some people a misnomer?
abstract: Is desire to eat in response to positive emotions an 'obese' eating style: a style more prevalent in people with obesity? In other words: Is Kummerspeck (German: sorrow-fat) for some people a misnomer? This question was addressed in three studies on women. Study 1 (n = 188) tested the moderator effect of subjective well-being on the association of BMI with the scale on desire to eat in response to negative emotions (DEBQ-E). Study 2 tested in women (n = 832) whether items on desire to eat in response to positive emotions loaded on the same factor as those in response to negative emotions and body mass. Study 3 assessed in the total sample (n = 203) and an overweight subsample (n = 40) a) whether self-reported desire to eat in response to positive emotions predicted actual food intake and b) whether this also held true over and above self-reported desire to eat in response to negative emotions. Study 1 showed only for women with low positive affect a significant positive association of BMI with DEBQ-E. In Study 2, only items on desire to eat in response to negative emotions loaded on the same factor as BMI. Study 3: In the total sample, the significant effect on food intake of the scale on desire to eat in response to positive emotions disappeared when a scale on desire to eat in response to negative emotions was added to the model. In the overweight-subsample there was only an effect on food intake for desire to eat in response to negative emotions. It is concluded that only desire to eat in response to negative emotions is an 'obese' eating style, suggesting that Kummerspeck is not a misnomer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9102, 6500 HC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: T.vanstrien@psych.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Strien
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Earth and Life sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085-1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: machteldouwens@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marianne H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Donker
authors.affiliation: GGZ Breburg, P.O. Box 770, 5000 AT, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Machteld A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ouwens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D057181:Pleasure; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotional eating; Kummerspeck; Negative emotion; Overweight; Positive emotion; ‘obese’ eating style