Psychological features of eating behaviours in the context of body mass index
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/2227-1376-2025-46-mazKeywords:
eating disorders, emotional eating, BMI, DEBQ, EDE-Q, overweightAbstract
Purpose. To study the characteristics of eating behaviour (EB) and the correlation between parameters in respondents with normal and elevated body mass index (BMI).
Methods. Theoretical analysis and empirical research methods were used. Normal or excessive weight was determined by BMI. The DEBQ eating behaviour questionnaire was used to establish types of eating behaviour. The results of the EDE-Q eating disorder questionnaire were evaluated using a general index and scales.
Results. The study involved 78 respondents with normal and elevated BMI (21 and 57 participants). Respondents with excessive BMI showed significantly higher scores on the restrictive and emotional types of EB, which were 2.91±0.90 and 2.18±0.98 points (p<0.05), while the external EB index did not differ significantly. Analysis of the EDE-Q scale results showed a significant predominance of the total EDE-Q index in the group of respondents with elevated BMI compared to the group with normal BMI, which was 5.57±1.00 and 1.60±1.33 points (p<0.05), and a significant association of BMI with all questionnaire scales was established. In individuals with increased body weight, no moderate or strong correlation was found between BMI and the EDE-Q and DEBQ questionnaire scales.
Conclusions. Respondents with elevated BMI show significantly higher rates of eating disorders compared to individuals with normal body weight. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and constant emotional stress caused by the ongoing military conflict, food consumption often serves as a coping strategy. This is evidenced by the fact that the severity of external eating disorders is symmetrically increased in all study participants, regardless of their weight. A significant increase in the severity of restrictive and emotional eating disorders in overweight individuals indicates the presence of subclinical eating disorders. Respondents with elevated BMI also showed a significant increase on all scales of the EDE-Q questionnaire, indicating their concern about their eating habits and body shape.
References
1. Boutari, C., Mantzoros, C.S. (2022) A 2022 update on the epidemiology of obesity and a call to action: as its twin COVID-19 pandemic appears to be receding, the obesity and dysmetabolism pandemic continues to rage on. Metabolism, 133, 155217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155217
2. STEPS: prevalence of noncommunicable disease risk factors in Ukraine 2019. (2019). Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.
3. Dakanalis, A. et al. (2023). The Association of Emotional Eating with Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, and Dietary Patterns: A Review of the Current Clinical Evidence. Nutrients, 15(5), 1173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051173
4. Van Strien, T. (2018). Causes of Emotional Eating and Matched Treatment of Obesity. Current Diabetes Reports, 18(6), 35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-018-1000-x
5. Chew, H.S.J. et al. (2025). The global prevalence of emotional eating in overweight and obese populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychol, 116(2), 484-498. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12768
6. Gulich, M. et al. (2024). War exposure and changes in eating behaviours among Ukrainian school-aged children: A cross-sectional online survey. Matern Child Nutr., 21(1), e13729. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13729
7. Roth, A.M., Gruber, J.R., Reif, A., Schultze, M., Matura, S. (2024). Exploring weight-related self-monitoring as a potential risk factor for eating disorder symptoms in adults – A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite, 202, 107610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107610
8. Malachowska, A., Jezewska-Zychowicz, M., Gebski, J. (2021). Polish Adaptation of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ): The Role of Eating Style in Explaining Food Intake-A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients, 13(12), 4486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124486
9. Zare, H., Rahimi, H., Omidi, A., Nematolahi, F., Sharifi, N. (2024). Relationship between emotional eating and nutritional intake in adult women with overweight and obesity: a cross-sectional study. Nutr J., 23(1), 129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-01030-3
10. Kiro, L.S., Zak, M.Y., Chernyshov, O.V., Nikolenko, A.E., Iakovenko, N.O. (2021). Eating behavior and obesity: gender-age features. Wiadomości Lekarskie, 74(5), 1114-1119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek202105112
11. Benbaibeche, H., Saidi, H., Bounihi, A., Koceir, E.A. (2023). Emotional and external eating styles associated with obesity. J Eat Disord, 11(1), 67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00797-w
12. Jebeile, H., House, E.T., Baur, L.A. et al. (2025). Dieting Practices of Adolescents Seeking Obesity Treatment. Nutrients, 17(19), 3100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17193100
13. Frank, G.K.W. (2022). The role of reward systems in eating disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am, 45(2), 239–52.
14. Abaturov, O.Ye., Nikulina, A.O. (2020). Eating behavior disorders in children with different obesity phenotypes [Porushennia kharchovoi povedinky pry riznykh fenotypakh zhyrynnia u ditei]. Zdorovia dytyny, 15 (5), 316-320. [in Ukrainian]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22141/2224-0551.15.5.2020.211441
15. Shmyha, B.L. (2024). Psychological characteristics of eating behavior disorders in adolescence [Psykholohichni osoblyvosti rozladiv kharchovoi povedinky u pidlitkovomu vitsi]. Bachelor’s Degree Thesis. Lutsk. [in Ukrainian].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Psychological Prospects Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
