142 Dieting
- Dieters, however, also show episodes of overeating, particularly in
response to triggers such as high-calorie preloads, anxiety, or smoking
abstinence. - This overeating can be understood in terms of a transgression of
boundaries, shifts in cognitive set, mood modification, a response to
denial, an escape from awareness, a lapse, or changes in self-control. - Increasing or promoting dieting can result in an increased preoccupa-
tion with food, increased depression, and, paradoxically, increased eating
behavior. - The dieter’s aim to eat less and consequently to lose weight is rarely
achieved, and this failure may be a product of changes which occur as a
direct response to imposing a cognitive structure upon eating behavior. - Dieting is also related to changes in weight in terms of weight variability,
the development of eating disorders, and the onset and progression of
obesity.
Problems With Restraint Theory
Although restraint theory has generated a wealth of research and provides
an insight into overeating behavior, there are several problems with this
theory:
- Central to restraint theory is the association between food restriction
and overeating. However, although dieters, bulimics, and bingeing
anorexics report episodes of overeating, restricting anorexics cannot be
accounted for by restraint theory. If attempting not to eat can result in
overeating, how do anorexics manage to starve themselves? - If attempting not to eat something results in eating it, how do vege-
tarians manage never to eat meat? - There are some successful dieters who have been obese, dieted to lose
weight, and kept this weight off (see chapter 9). Why do they not also
show overeating?
Some recent research has highlighted problems with restraint theory. In
particular, this has described the times when restraint leads to undereat-
ing, and has addressed the measurement of restraint and the complexity
of dieting behavior.