Doing the counter-regulation shuffle: the importance of flexibility and hunger for predicting food consumption following a preload

Objectives
This study utilised the preload paradigm to evaluate whether trait-like dieting attitudes and behaviours (dietary restraint and flexibility in dieting rules) and context-specific factors (negative mood and hunger) predict food consumption among male and female participants.
Methods
Following a high calorie preload, 79 participants aged 18–40 completed a deceptive taste test in which they were encouraged to eat as much of the taste test foods as desired, and this ad libitum intake was measured.
Results
Although each predictor (except negative mood) predicted consumption when tested individually, regression analyses revealed that dieting flexibility and current hunger were the strongest unique predictors of intake. Mood failed to directly predict food consumption, nor did it moderate the relationship between restraint and food intake.ConclusionCollectively, findings suggest that emphasis on dietary restraint in preload studies may be misplaced, as other proximal and stable factors may better predict food consumption.

Restrained eaters consume more food only if they are impulsive and male

This study utilised the preload paradigm to evaluate whether dietary restraint, impulsivity, or their interaction significantly predicts heightened food consumption among male and/or female participants. Following a high calorie preload, 79 participants aged 18 to 40 (53 females and 26 males) completed a deceptive taste test and questionnaires measuring restraint and impulsivity levels. A series of hierarchical regressions were run, controlling for self-rated hunger levels. A significant negative association between level of restraint and food consumption post-preload was found for males, but this relationship was not significant for female participants. The hypothesis that impulsivity would directly predict heightened food consumption was not supported for either gender. However, impulsivity was found to significantly moderate the relationship between restraint and food intake in the male sample, but not the female, providing partial support for this hypothesis. Potential reasons for this gender-specific interaction effect of impulsivity and restraint for food consumption are discussed. More broadly, present findings highlight the need for further consideration of the role of impulsivity in undermining food intake of restrained eaters. Future research should also consider how preload effects may differ across gender.