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Whether eating behaviour traits represent factors that could explain the susceptibility to overeating in individuals with low satiety responsiveness remain to be extensively examined. This study aimed to assess if eating behaviours mediate the association between satiety responsiveness and energy intake. Baseline data from individuals with overweight or obesity (n = 303; age = 38.7 ± 8.4 years; BMI = 33.2 ± 3.4 kg/m 2 , 56% women) who participated in four weight-loss studies were included in this cross-sectional study. Satiety responsiveness was determined by the satiety quotient (SQ) based on fullness sensations in response to a standardized breakfast. Energy intake was self-reported in a three-day food record and measured by an ad libitum buffet meal. Eating behaviours were assessed with questionnaires. Mediation analyses adjusted for age and sex, and for underreporting for the food record, were performed using a regression-based and bootstrapping approach. The association between SQ and self-reported total energy intake was mediated by susceptibility to hunger (β = -2.51 ± 1.26, 95% CI, -5.38 to -0.52) and its subscales, internal and external locus of hunger (β = -2.00 ± 1.10, 95% CI, -4.50 to -0.28 and β = -2.42 ± 1.29, 95% CI, -5.30 to -0.30, respectively). Susceptibility to hunger (β = -2.71 ± 1.13, 95% CI, -5.29 to -0.84), internal and external locus of hunger (β = -1.84 ± 0.95, 95% CI -4.00 to -0.30 and β = -3.42 ± 1.31, 95% CI, -6.39 to -1.24, respectively), cues that may trigger food cravings (β = -5.43 ± 2.91, 95% CI, -11.83 to -0.44) and state-craving as a physiological state (β = -4.31 ± 2.51, 95%CI, -10.14 to -0.44) also mediated the association between SQ and measured energy intake. These results suggest that susceptibility to hunger and food cravings partly explained the susceptibility to overeating among individuals with low satiety responsiveness. Interventions targeting susceptibility to hunger and food cravings may thus be helpful to prevent overeating among these individuals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: Health At Every Size® (HAES®) interventions have been increasingly recognized as a sustainable strategy in obesity management. Nevertheless, heterogeneity among obese individuals leads to challenges as it translates in mixed responses to treatment. In this context, our objective was to identify trajectories of responses to a non-diet intervention for adult overweight/obese women to highlight profiles of responders., Method: Based on data from a multicentric quasi-experimental study, a latent class growth modeling (LCGM) was performed. Two hundred and ten women with high body mass index (BMI ≥ 25, M BMI  = 36.53) who followed a non-diet intervention offered in Health and Social Services Centres completed questionnaires at T = 0, 4 and 16 months. Outcomes used in the LCGM were intuitive eating and body esteem, two central components in HAES® interventions. Types of responders were then profiled on sociodemographic, weight, lifestyle, psychological and eating variables., Results: The LCGM revealed a 4-trajectory model (p < .001), comprising non-responders (14.67%), moderate improvement with low maintenance responders (49.89%), moderate improvement with high maintenance responders (29.28%) and high functioning partial responders (6.56%). Analysis of variances showed significant differences between all types of responders with medium to large effect sizes on depressive symptoms, self-esteem and disinhibited eating (p < .001; η 2  = .23, 0.30 and 0.16 respectively). Fewer differences were found on sociodemographic, lifestyle, health and weight variables. Overall, non-responders (14.67%) had a distinctive profile compared to the other groups by consistently expressing poorer psychological functioning, less adapted eating behaviors and reaching more frequently the clinical cutoff for severe depression (p = .001)., Conclusions: Findings strongly support the relevance of considering psychological characteristics to move towards personalized healthcare in obesity management., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified several genes associated with obesity. The mechanisms through which these genes affect body weight are not fully characterized. Recent studies suggest that eating behavior (EB) traits could be involved, but only a few EB traits were investigated., Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether genetic susceptibility to obesity is mediated by EB traits (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, hunger) and their subscales. We hypothesized that EB traits, and their subscales, partly mediate this association., Design: Adult individuals (n = 768) who participated in the Quebec Family Study were included in this cross-sectional study. A genetic risk score (GRS) of obesity was calculated based on the 97 genetic variants recently identified in a GWAS meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI). EB traits and their subscales were assessed with the use of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Regression analyses with age and sex as covariates were used to investigate the associations between GRS, EB traits, BMI, and WC and whether the association between GRS and obesity is mediated by EB traits, which represents the indirect effect of GRS on obesity., Results: The GRS of obesity was positively associated with BMI (β = 0.19 ± 0.04, P < 0.0001) and WC (β = 0.46 ± 0.10, P < 0.0001). Regression analyses also revealed that the association between GRS of obesity and BMI was partly mediated by disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger (βindirect = 0.09 ± 0.03, P = 0.0007, and βindirect = 0.04 ± 0.02, P = 0.02, respectively). Habitual and situational susceptibility to disinhibition (βindirect = 0.08 ± 0.03, P = 0.002 and βindirect = 0.05 ± 0.02, P = 0.003, respectively) as well as internal and external locus of hunger (βindirect = 0.03 ± 0.02, P = 0.03 for both) were also found to mediate the association between GRS of obesity and BMI. The same trends were observed with WC., Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the genetic susceptibility to obesity is partly mediated through undesirable EB traits, which suggests that they could be targeted in obesity treatment and prevention. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03355729.

Given that traditional interventions promoting the adoption of a healthy diet are having limited impacts on the population's food choices and eating behaviours, researchers and health practitioners could explore alternative strategies such as the use of eating pleasure to promote healthy eating. To inform future interventions using this approach, this study aimed to explore how a sample of Quebecers perceives and defines eating pleasure and healthy eating. Specific objectives were to verify what commonalities can be found between their definitions of eating pleasure and healthy eating, and what differences can be observed in their answers based on their sex and body mass index (BMI). Twelve focus groups were conducted in Quebec City, Canada, among women and men with a normal weight and with obesity (n = 92). Verbatim transcripts were double-coded using NVivo10. Participants mostly defined eating pleasure through food characteristics related to sensory qualities and psychosocial contexts. In contrast, they mostly mentioned food characteristics related to nutritional quality and ways to regulate eating behaviours to define healthy eating. Most salient perceptions were similar among subgroups based on sex or BMI. Results showed that in participants' perceptions, the concepts of eating pleasure and healthy eating were different, but appeared to be mostly compatible, which makes the integration of eating pleasure a promising avenue for interventions promoting healthy eating., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nutrition claims may help people to adopt healthier eating habits, but little is known about the potential cognitive effects of such claims on appetite sensations. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of nutrition claims and individual factors on perceived appetite sensations. According to a three ("healthy" versus "diet" (i.e., satiating) versus "hedonic") by two (restrained or not restrained) by two (normal-weight or overweight/obese) by two (men versus women) factorial design, 164 males and 188 females aged 18-65 were invited to taste an oatmeal-raisin snack in a blinded and ad libitum context. Visual analog scales (150 mm) were used to evaluate appetite sensations before and over 1 h after consumption period. BMI and Restraint Scale were used to categorize participants according to their weight and restraint status. No main condition effect was observed for any of the four appetite sensations. However, subgroups analysis revealed significant differences among specific subgroups. A main effect of sex was also observed for all appetite sensations with men reporting higher levels of desire to eat, hunger and prospective food consumption, and lower levels of fullness than women. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics in interaction when studying appetite sensations., Competing Interests: None of the authors have reported any financial or personal conflict of interests to the present manuscript.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nutrition claims on food perceptions and intake among adult men and women, during ad libitum snacks. In a three (healthy vs. diet vs. hedonic) by two (normal-weight vs. overweight/obese) by two (unrestrained vs. restrained eaters) factorial design, 164 men and 188 women were invited to taste and rate oatmeal-raisin cookies. Despite the fact that the cookies were the same in all conditions, they were perceived as being healthier in the "healthy" condition than in the "diet" and "hedonic" conditions. The caloric content was estimated as higher by participants in the "hedonic" than in the "healthy" condition, by women than by men, and by restrained than by unrestrained eaters. Although measured ad libitum cookie intake did not differ as a function of experimental condition, overweight restrained men ate more than did women from each BMI and restraint category. Conversely, overweight restrained women ate less than did men from each BMI and restraint category. In conclusion, our manipulations of healthiness and "fatteningness" of food were effective in changing perceptions, but were not in changing behavior., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The regulation of energy intake is complex and many biological, psychosocial and environmental influences have been identified. To our knowledge, no study has yet investigated how eating patterns could mediate associations between eating behaviors and self-reported energy intake in premenopausal overweight women. Therefore, objectives of this study were to examine associations between eating behaviors and eating patterns in premenopausal overweight women and to test if eating patterns could mediate the associations between eating behaviors and self-reported energy intake. Women completed a 3-day food record and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire was used to assess eating behaviors (dietary restraint, disinhibition, hunger). In the total sample of women, flexible restraint was negatively (r=-0.18; p=0.03) and binge eating severity was positively (r=0.24; p=0.004) associated with self-reported energy intake. Moreover, flexible restraint was positively associated with the proportion of energy intake at breakfast (r=0.24; p=0.004), whereas disinhibition and binge eating severity were positively associated with the proportion of energy intake from snacks consumed after 5:00 pm (r=0.22, p=0.007 and r=0.22, p=0.01, respectively). In addition, mediational analyses showed that proportion of energy intake from snacks consumed after 5:00 pm explained 24.1% of the association between binge eating severity and self-reported energy intake. In conclusion, these results suggest that eating patterns are important factors to consider in order to explain the associations between eating behaviors and self-reported energy intake., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare changes in eating behaviors in response to two dietary interventions: one focusing on restrictive messages to limit consumption of high-fat foods (LOFAT) and the other one based on non-restrictive messages to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables (HIFV)., Methods: Sixty-eight overweight-obese postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to one of the two 6-month dietary interventions that included three group sessions and ten individual sessions with a dietitian. Anthropometric variables and eating behaviors were measured at baseline, 3months and 6months., Results: Body weight decreased significantly in both groups at 6months compared to baseline (LOFAT: -3.5±2.9kg; HIFV: -1.6±2.9kg). At 6months, dietary restraint score was higher in the LOFAT group compared to the HIFV group (12.7±4.2 vs 10.5±4.9; p<0.05). Disinhibition and hunger decreased significantly in the HIFV group after 6months while only hunger decreased in the LOFAT group., Conclusion: A weight loss approach based on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption leads to a significant weight loss and is associated with a decrease in disinhibition and hunger without any increase in dietary restraint., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Previous clustering analysis performed among samples of bulimic or binge eating women have consistently yielded two subtypes (Dietary and Dietary-Depressive). The present study verifies whether this clustering solution could be replicated among weight-preoccupied overweight/obese women and compares the different clusters on personality-, eating- and weight-related variables. Cluster analysis was performed along dietary restraint and negative affect among a sample of 156 overweight/obese weight-preoccupied women. Results failed to replicate the original two-cluster solution, rather evidencing a three-cluster solution (Dietary, Depressive, Low-Dietary/Low-Depressive). Also, dietary restraint did not appear to be a core feature for all weight-preoccupied overweight/obese women as it is for eating-disordered women since only one group presented dietary restraint. The presence of a pure Depressive group and a pure Dietary group showed that dietary restraint and negative affect may act independently among our sample. In term of clinical severity, the Dietary group, even in the absence of high negative affect, occupied an intermediate position between the Low-Dietary/Low-Depressive and the Depressive group, the most impaired one, in accordance with previous studies. It thus suggests that other factors beside negative affect can contribute to eating and psychological impairment among overweight/obese women., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to compare the long-term effects of two dietary approaches on changes in dietary intakes, eating behaviours and body weight: (1) approach using restrictive messages to limit high-fat foods (low-fat intake; LOFAT); (2) approach emphasising non-restrictive messages directed towards the inclusion of fruits and vegetables (high intake of fruits and vegetables; HIFV). A total of sixty-eight overweight or obese postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary approaches. The 6-month dietary intervention included three group sessions and ten individual sessions with a dietitian. Dietary intakes, eating behaviours and anthropometrics were measured at baseline, at the end of the dietary intervention (T = 6) and 6 months and 12 months after the end of the intervention (T = 12 and T = 18). In the LOFAT group, energy and fat intakes were lower at T = 6 when compared with baseline and remained lower at T = 12 and T = 18. In the HIFV group, fruit and vegetable intakes increased significantly at T = 6 but were no longer significantly different from baseline at T = 12 and T = 18. Dietary restraint increased at T = 6 and remained higher than baseline at T = 18 in the LOFAT group while no significant change was observed in the HIFV group. At T = 6, body weight was significantly lower than baseline in both groups (LOFAT: - 3.7 (SD 2.8) kg; HIFV: - 1.8 (SD 3.0) kg) and no significant difference in body-weight change from baseline was found between groups at T = 18. We concluded that weight loss was similar at 1-year follow-up in both dietary approaches. Despite relatively good improvements in the short term, the adherence to a 6-month dietary intervention promoting high intakes of fruits and vegetables was difficult to maintain.

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which personality traits are related to BMI and eating behaviors in overweight and obese women (N=154; mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.5+/-3.0 kg/m(2)). The NEO Five-Factor Inventory was used to capture the five dimensions of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height and BMI) were performed and eating behaviors (cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger) were measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Regressional analyses showed that only conscientiousness was positively related to BMI. A higher level of neuroticism was identified as a significant predictor of higher scores for cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger. Conscientiousness was also found to be a positive determinant of cognitive dietary restraint and a higher level of agreeableness predicted a lower score of susceptibility to hunger. Results also underline the presence of other psychological factors, i.e. dysphoria and body esteem, involved in the associations between personality traits and some eating behaviours. These findings suggest that particular dimensions of personality may contribute, either directly or through their association with other psychological factors, to a better understanding of weight and eating behaviors in overweight and obese women.

Our objective was to investigate the psychobiological impact associated with resistance to further weight loss in obese men. Anthropometric and body composition measurements, resting metabolic rate (RMR) measurement, appetite sensation markers, and three questionnaires [Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)] were assessed at baseline and after 1 month of body weight loss plateau induced by a supervised diet and exercise clinical intervention in 11 obese men. The weight loss plateau corresponded to 11.2% of initial body weight (93.9% from fat stores). However, this amount of weight loss induced a significant decrease in RMR (P <.05) and a significant increase in hunger (P <.05) and desire to eat (P <.05). Using the SF-36 Health Survey, physical and mental health were shown to be unchanged at plateau as compared to baseline. The TFEQ showed that cognitive dietary restraint increased (P <.001) compared to baseline. Finally, depression risk as measured by the BDI significantly increased at plateau (P <.01) compared to baseline. Weight loss until resistance to further weight loss may be detrimental for some psychobiological variables including depression, which emphasizes the relevance of caution and reasonable objectives when prescribing a weight reduction program for obese individuals.

Psychobiological effects associated with a progressive body weight loss may help to improve the understanding of psychological barriers to weight loss. We hypothesized that a moderate body weight loss (about 10% of initial body weight) is accompanied with some negative psychological impact. Four questionnaires [SF-36 Health Survey, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)] were administered at each phase of a body weight loss program that consisted of a supervised diet and exercise clinical intervention to 11 obese men (mean BMI = 33.4 kg/m(2), mean age = 38 yr). The three phases investigated were: 1) at the beginning of the intervention (baseline); 2) after 5 +/- 1 kg body weight loss (Phase 1); and 3) after 10 +/- 1 kg body weight loss (Phase 2). Using the SF-36 Health Survey, physical and mental health were shown to be significantly improved at Phase 1 (p < 0.05). The TFEQ showed that cognitive dietary restraint increased (p < 0.001), and both disinhibition (p < 0.05) and susceptibility to hunger (p < 0.05) were significantly reduced at both Phase 1 and 2 compared to baseline. Depression as measured by the BDI significantly increased at Phase 2 (p < 0.05) compared to baseline and Phase 1. However, the mean BDI scores observed remained below the cut-off point for likely clinical significance. Finally, the PSQI showed that sleep quality was significantly improved at Phase 1 compared to baseline (p < 0.01). Altogether, these results suggest that a substantial improvement in the psychobiological profile occurs with a 5-kg weight loss (Phase 1) but that with additional weight loss (Phase 2) a small, but significant increase in depression occurred and seems to be associated with the increase in rigid restraint of eating. However, prospective studies with a larger sample are needed to confirm and deepen these results.

Background: Obesity is frequently associated with eating disorders, and evidence indicates that both conditions are influenced by genetic factors. However, little is known about the genes influencing eating behaviors., Objective: The objective was to identify genes associated with eating behaviors., Design: Three eating behaviors were assessed in 660 adults from the Quebec Family Study with the use of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. A genome-wide scan was conducted with a total of 471 genetic markers spanning the 22 autosomes to identify quantitative trait loci for eating behaviors. Body composition and macronutrient and energy intakes were also measured., Results: Four quantitative trait loci were identified for disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger. Of these, the best evidence of linkage was found between a locus on chromosome 15q24-q25 and disinhibition (P <0.0058) and susceptibility to hunger (P <0.0001). After fine-mapping, the peak linkage was found between markers D15S206 and D15S201 surrounding the neuromedin beta (NMB) gene. A missense mutation (p.P73T) located within the NMB gene showed significant associations with eating behaviors and obesity phenotypes. The T73T homozygotes were 2 times as likely to exhibit high levels of disinhibition (odds ratio: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.89; P=0.03) and susceptibility to hunger (odds ratio: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.06; P=0.01) as were the P73 allele carriers. Six-year follow-up data showed that the amount of body fat gain over time in T73T subjects was >2 times that than in P73P homozygotes (3.6 compared with 1.5 kg; P <0.05)., Conclusion: The results suggest that NMB is a very strong candidate gene of eating behaviors and predisposition to obesity.

Sodium plays a key role in the regulation of water balance and is also important in food formulation due to its contribution to the taste and use in the preservation of many foods. Excessive intake of any essential nutrient is problematic and this seems to be particularly the case for sodium since a high intake makes it the nutrient most strongly associated with mortality. Sodium intake has been the object of recommendations by public health agencies such as the WHO and this has resulted in efforts by the food industry to reduce the sodium content of packaged foods, although there is still room for improvement. The recent literature also emphasizes the need for other strategies, e.g., regulations and education, to promote adequate sodium intake. In the present paper, we also describe the potential benefits of a global healthy lifestyle that considers healthy eating but also physical activity habits that improve body functionality and may help to attenuate the detrimental effects of high sodium intake on body composition and cardiometabolic health. In conclusion, a reduction in sodium intake, an improvement in body functioning, and educational interventions promoting healthy eating behaviours seem to be essential for the optimal regulation of sodium balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of adopting healthy eating habits at a young age to prevent obesity and chronic diseases justifies the need for effective interventions. Objective: This study evaluated the impact of a family web-based nutrition intervention on vegetable and fruit (V/F) and dairy product (DP) consumption, nutrient intakes, diet quality and BMI or BMI z-scores. Methods: Forty-three families with children aged 8–16 years were randomized to either the family web-based intervention, or web-based general nutrition guidelines (control) over 8 weeks. Nutritional variables were assessed with three-day dietary records while anthropometry (body weight and height) was assessed with standardized measures at baseline (PRE), immediately after the intervention (POST 1) and 3–6 months after the intervention (POST 2). Linear mixed models for repeated measures were used to assess the main effects and their interactions followed by post hoc tests. Results: The intervention had an effect on DP, total sugar, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in children (Group x Time, P = 0.02 to 0.03) and on DP, V/F juice, carbohydrates, total sugar, saturated fat, protein and calcium in parents (Group x Time, P = 0.01 to 0.03). Post hoc tests revealed children in the intervention group increased their DP intakes immediately after the intervention (POST1) but decreased at follow-up (POST2). No effect of the intervention on V/F, diet quality or BMI was observed. Conclusion: Compared to general nutrition guidelines, this family web-based nutrition intervention had a modest effect on nutrient intakes, but beneficial effect on DP intakes in the short term. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03798808, Registered 10 january 2019 - Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effects of a "Health-At-Every-Size" (HAES) intervention on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in 144 premenopausal overweight women.Research Methods and Procedures: Women were randomly assigned to one of the 3 groups: HAES group, social support (SS) group, and control group (N = 48 in each group). Interventions were conducted over a 4-month period, and measurements were taken before and after this period. Eating behaviors (cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger) were evaluated by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Appetite ratings (desire to eat, hunger, fullness, and prospective food consumption) were assessed by visual analogue scales before and after a standardized breakfast.Results: More important decreases in susceptibility to hunger and external hunger were observed in the HAES group when compared with the SS group (p=0.05, for susceptibility to hunger) and the control group (p=0.02 and p=0.005, for susceptibility to hunger and external hunger, respectively). In addition, women from the HAES group had more important decreases in postprandial area under the curve for desire to eat (p=0.02) and hunger (p=0.04) when compared with the control group. The change in the desire to eat noted in the HAES group was also different from the one observed in SS group (p=0.02). Women from the HAES group experienced significant weight loss at 4 months (-1.6+/-2.5 kg, p<0.0001), which did not differ significantly from the SS and control groups (p=0.09). An increase in flexible restraint was significantly related to a greater weight loss in both HAES and SS groups (r=-0.39, p<0.01; and r=-0.37, p<0.05, respectively). A decrease in habitual susceptibility to disinhibition was also associated with a greater weight loss in HAES and control groups (r=0.31, p<0.05; and r=0.44, p<0.05, respectively).Discussion: These results suggest that a HAES intervention could have significant effects on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in premenopausal overweight women, when compared with an SS intervention or a control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nutritional labelling on energy intake, appetite perceptions and attitudes towards food. During a 10-d period, seventy normal-weight (BMI<25 kg/m2) and seventy-one obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m2) were given three meals per d under ad libitum conditions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental labelling groups in which the only difference was the label posted on lunch meal entrée: (1) low-fat label, (2) energy label (energy content of the entrée and average daily needs) and (3) no label (control). Average energy intake was calculated by weighing all foods before v. after daily consumption. Hunger and fullness perceptions were rated on visual analogue scales immediately before and after each meal. Satiety efficiency was assessed through the calculation of the satiety quotient (SQ). The appreciation and perceived healthiness of the lunch entrées were rated on eight-point Likert scales. There was no difference in energy intake, SQ and attitudes towards food between the three labelling groups. Fasting hunger perception was higher in the low-fat label group compared with the two others groups (P=0·0037). No interactions between labelling groups and BMI categories were observed. In conclusion, although labelling does not seem to influence energy intake, a low-fat label may increase women’s fasting hunger perceptions compared with an energy label or no label. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Individual variability in weight loss in response to a weight loss intervention is commonly observed. Recently, the timing of food intake has been identified as one possible factor implicated in obesity and weight loss. The objective of this study was to further characterize low weight loss responders by assessing the pre‐diet distribution of daily energy and macronutrient intakes. A pooled cohort of men and women (n = 122; aged 39.1 ± 8.2 years; body mass index [BMI] 33.1 ± 3.8 kg/m2) who participated in a 12 to 15 week energy‐restricted intervention (−500 to −700 kcal/d) were included in this study. Participants were categorized into two weight loss groups (ie, low [−1.3 ± 2.3 kg] and high [−6.1 ± 2.1 kg] weight loss). Food intake and distribution of energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed using a 3‐day food record at baseline. The daily distribution of energy intake (% of total energy intake) was similar in the two weight loss groups with the exception of the low weight loss group who consumed a slightly lower proportion of their total energy intake before 9:00 am compared with the high weight loss group (12.5% ± 5.8% vs 15.0% ± 6.6%, respectively, P =.03). In the low weight loss group, the percentage of energy intake consumed after 8:00 pm was positively associated with total energy intake (r = 0.27, P =.04). The results of this study suggest that the timing of food intake measured prior to a weight loss intervention does not permit the characterization of low weight loss responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating style based on the reliance on physiological cues to determine when, what, and how much to eat. The Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) is a validated four-subscale tool measuring the degree of adherence to intuitive eating principles. The present series of studies aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of a French-Canadian adaptation of the IES-2 for the adult population. The factor structure, the reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), the construct validity, and the discriminant validity were evaluated in 334 women and 75 men from the Province of Québec, Canada, across two studies. A confirmatory factor analysis upheld that the four-factor structure of the original IES-2 was adequate for the present sample of French-Canadians. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Construct validity evidence was obtained with the significant associations between intuitive eating and psychological and eating-related variables. Intuitive eating was negatively associated with eating disorder symptomatology and with food- and weight-preoccupation, and positively associated with body-esteem and well-being. The French-Canadian IES-2 was also able to discriminate between genders and body mass index categories. The properties of this new version of the IES-2 are demonstrative of a reliable and valid tool to assess intuitive eating in the French-Canadian adult population of the Province of Québec. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]