title: Motivational dynamics underlying eating regulation in young and adult female dieters: relationships with healthy eating behaviours and disordered eating symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether type of goals and motives underlying females' eating regulation are associated differentially with daily eating behaviours, dependent upon weight and age category.
  
  
  METHODS
  99 late adolescent female dieters (Mage = 18.94) and 98 adult female dieters (Mage = 45.06), 23.6% of which were overweight, completed a questionnaire and a 7-day diary assessment. Descriptive analysis and path analysis were performed to investigate the research questions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy eating behaviours (HEHS), drive for thinness and binge eating symptoms (EDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Appearance-focused and controlled eating regulation were positively related to disordered eating symptoms throughout the week. In contrast, autonomous and health-focused eating regulation were associated positively with healthy eating behaviours and were either related negatively or unrelated to disordered eating symptoms. Mean level differences in motivation and eating behaviours emerged according to age and weight status. However, the examined structural model was similar for late adolescent and adult dieters and only few differences emerged between normal-weight and overweight dieters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dieters' type of motivation helps to explain when eating regulation relates to healthy and disordered eating symptoms.
authors.affiliation: a Thomas More University College , Antwerp , Belgium.
authors.forename: Joke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verstuyf
authors.affiliation: b Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vansteenkiste
authors.affiliation: a Thomas More University College , Antwerp , Belgium.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soetens
authors.affiliation: b Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soenens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight; D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: eating disorders; eating regulation; healthy eating; motivation; self-determination theory