What is normal eating behavior? Age, sex and weight all play a role

A study based on data from nearly 9,000 people in northern Finland shows that eating behavior varies with age and differs between sexes and BMI categories. The findings suggest that there is no single threshold that can be used to define abnormal eating behavior for everyone.

The study examined three aspects of eating behavior: cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating.

Uncontrolled and emotional eating were more pronounced among younger adults, whereas cognitive restraint was more common among older adults.

There were also clear differences between the sexes. On average, women reported higher levels of both cognitive restraint and emotional eating than men. No comparable sex difference was observed in uncontrolled eating.

As BMI increased, uncontrolled and emotional eating were, on average, more common. The association between cognitive restraint and body weight was more complex: restraint increased with BMI, but a slight decrease was observed among women with the most severe levels of obesity.

According to the researchers, these findings are particularly important because questionnaires measuring eating behavior are used in weight management and obesity treatment. The study is published in the journal Appetite.

New reference values help identify atypical eating behavior

The study established, for the first time, age- and sex-specific reference values for the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) for the Finnish population. The self-administered questionnaire scores different aspects of eating behavior on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the more pronounced the particular eating behavior. Until now, however, more detailed reference values for interpreting scores in the Finnish population have been lacking.

The reference values are intended to help, for example, health care professionals assess whether an individual’s eating behavior differs substantially from that of others of the same age and sex. However, they are not designed to determine directly whether treatment is needed.

“When interpreting the reference values, it is important to bear in mind that factors such as weight management goals can influence eating behavior,” says Marjukka Nurkkala, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu who coordinated the study.

According to Nurkkala, further research is needed to establish how different aspects of eating behavior occur together, how they change with age and what kinds of changes should be targeted in obesity treatment.

The study drew on data from three population-based cohorts in northern Finland. Participants were approximately 33–35, 45–46 and 68–70 years old.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Oulu, ODL Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine and the University of Eastern Finland, and has been published in the journal Appetite.

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