The Psychology of Eating: From Healthy to Disordered Behavior

Dieting 147

and obesity. However, there are problems with restraint theory, with
researchers questioning the link between dieting and overeating, the
validity of restraint measures, and the nature of dieting itself. It would seem
that dieting does not always lead to overeating, and that some measures
of restraint specifically select those dieters with a tendency to overeat. It is
most likely that there are some dieters who are always successful in their
attempts to eat less, but that there is also a majority of dieters who fluctuate
between episodes of undereating and episodes of disinhibitory behavior.

Towards an integrated model of diet

Many individuals wish to choose a healthy diet. Food choice, how-

ever, takes place within the context of meanings associated with food

and size, which can result in weight concern. In particular, women feel

dissatisfied with their body size and shape and this dissatisfaction

often results in dieting. But the goal of dieting is often sabotaged by

the psychological consequences of imposing limits upon food intake,

and attempts to choose a healthy diet become more problematic.

Eating is also associated with other more extreme problems. Obesity

is one of these problems and is the focus of the next chapter.