(Smart and Wegner 1999). A decision not to eat specific foods or to eat less is central to
the dieter’s cognitive set. This results in a similar state of denial and attempted thought
suppression and dieters have been shown to see food in terms of ‘forbiddenness’ (e.g.
King et al. 1987) and to show a preoccupation with the food that they are trying to deny
themselves (Grilo et al. 1989; Ogden 1995a). Therefore, as soon as food is denied it
simultaneously becomes forbidden and which translates into eating which undermines
any attempts at weight loss. Boon et al. (2002) directly applied the theory of ironic
processes of thought control to dieting and overeating. They used a factorial design and a
standard preload taste test paradigm. Restrained and unrestrained eaters were given
a preload that they were told was either high or low in calories and then were either
distracted or not distracted. Their food intake was then measured in a taste test. The
results showed that the restrained eaters ate particularly more than the unrestrained
eaters in the high calorie condition if they were distracted. The authors argued that
this lends support to the theory of ironic processes as the restrained eaters have a
limited cognitive capacity, and when this capacity is ‘filled’ up by the distraction their
preoccupation with food can be translated into eating.vi) Escape theory Researchers have also used escape theory to explain overeating
(Heatherton and Baumeister 1991; Heatherton et al. 1993, 1991). This perspective
has been applied to both the overeating characteristic of dieters and the more extreme
form of binge eating found in bulimics and describes overeating as a consequence of
‘a motivated shift to low levels of self awareness’ (Heatherton and Baumeister 1991). It
is argued that individuals prone to overeating show comparisons with ‘high standards
and demanding ideals’ (Heatherton and Baumeister 1991: 89) and that this results in
low self-esteem, self dislike and lowered mood. It is also argued that inhibitions exist
at high levels of awareness when the individual is aware of the meanings associated
with certain behaviours. In terms of the overeater, a state of high self awareness can
become unpleasant as it results in self criticism and low mood. However, such a state is
accompanied by the existence of inhibitions. The individual is therefore motivated to
escape from self awareness to avoid the accompanying unpleasantness but although
such a shift in self awareness may provide relief from self-criticism it results in a
reduction in inhibitions thereby causing overeating. Within this analysis disinhibitory
overeating is indicative of a shift from high to low self awareness and a subsequent
reduction in inhibitions.vii) Overeating as a relapse Parallels exist between the undereating and overeating
of the restrained eater and the behaviour of the relapsing smoker or alcoholic. The
traditional biomedical perspective of addictive behaviours viewed addictions as being
irreversible and out of the individual’s control. It has been argued that this perspective
encourages the belief that the behaviour is either ‘all or nothing’, and that this belief is
responsible for the high relapse rate shown by both alcoholics and smokers (Marlatt and
Gordon 1985). Thus, the abstaining alcoholic believes in either total abstention or
relapse, which itself may promote the progression from lapse to full-blown relapse. In the
case of the restrained eater, it is possible that they too believe in the ‘all or nothing’
theory of excess which promotes the shift from a high calorie lapse to the ‘what the hell’158 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY