PERCEIVED SELF-REGULATORY SUCCESS IN DIETING AND ITS CORRELATES AMONG WOMEN WITH FOOD ADDICTION

"Background: Several psychological features are implicated in the dieting success. Better understanding of these features may allow reducing dieting failure of both surgical and non-surgical weight loss interventions, especially for individuals with food addiction (FA). In non-clinical population, low perceived self-regulatory success (PSRS) in dieting is associated with higher BMI (body mass index), FA, food craving and impulsivity. PSRS could partially explain weight gain in FA, but no study investigated this association in the specific FA population. Method: To diagnose FA, 288 women recruited online completed The Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. They also completed the following self-administrated questionnaires: the French adaptation of the PSRS in dieting scale, the Food Craving Questionnaire Trait-Reduced, and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11. They specified their height, current and lifetime maximal weight, and if they were in a current diet. Mean age was 26.1±10.3 years. Mean current BMI was 23.4±5.5 kg/m². Results: 79 women met criteria for FA (27.4%), indicating significant less PSRS in dieting and higher probability to be in a current diet to lose weight. In the whole population (n=288), PSRS in dieting was negatively correlated with current and lifetime maximal BMI, food craving, FA, attentional and non-planning impulsivity. In a multiple linear regression conducted in the subgroup of women with FA, PSRS score was predicted by age, current BMI, food addiction and food craving. More, results suggested food craving enable the association between food addiction and PSRS. Conclusion: These results showed the high preoccupation about food intake and weight gain in the FA population. Psychological features associated with FA such as food craving and impulsivity, seem to impact the PSRS in dieting, increasing psychological vulnerability."