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Objective: This study sought to (1) examine perceived stress and resources to cope with stress as predictors of emotional eating during the transition to college and (2) determine whether body mass index (BMI) moderated the emotional eating-stress relationship. Participants: Participants were 97 college freshmen (73% female; BMI: M = 25.3 kg/m[superscript 2], SD = 5.7 kg/m[superscript 2]). Research was conducted in September 2012. Methods: Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Emotional Eating Scale, and Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire during the first month of college. Height and weight were measured objectively. Results: BMI moderated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating. Higher stress predicted greater emotional eating for the lower BMI groups, but not the highest group. Greater resources to cope with stress predicted lower emotional eating. Conclusions: Greater perceived stress and poorer resources to cope with stress may contribute to emotional eating during the transition to college. The relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating may vary by BMI.

Pediatric obesity is a widespread health concern and youth with obesity face teasing and ridicule, which can lead to academic difficulties (e.g., falling behind from missed class time). Teachers have a direct role in how children are treated by peers. We examined how teachers' views of children with obesity differ from their views of children with asthma, a less stigmatized chronic condition. Online questionnaires assessing attitudes toward children with health conditions were completed by 140 first- to fifth-grade teachers. Teachers rated children with asthma as more likely to be accepted by their peers than children with obesity. Additionally, teachers reported children with obesity as more burdensome to have in their classroom. Our findings that teachers reported children with obesity as more burdensome and less accepted may be influenced by societal attitudes related to the stigma associated with obesity. Findings highlight the importance of education for teachers on how to improve attitudes and outcomes for students with obesity.

The present study examined how a fan's desire to exhibit superstitious behaviors depends on team identification and game outcome. The study was a 2 (team identification: high vs. low) x 2 (game outcome: close game vs. blowout) between subjects factorial design. Participants included 176 students recruited from undergraduate psychology classes at a mid-sized university in Kentucky. They completed the Sport Spectator Identification Scale, read a randomly assigned vignette differing in game outcome, and filled out the Superstition Questionnaire to measure their desire to complete superstitious behaviors based on the vignette. Results indicated that highly identified fans reported wanting to perform more superstitious behaviors than low identified fans. The main effect for game type was almost significant (p = .07); fans were more likely to report performing superstitious behaviors during close games than blowouts. There was not an interaction between identification and game outcome. This finding reiterated the importance of team identification and its effects on the sport fan. There were also indications that the outcome of the event itself plays a minor role in determining sport fan behaviors., Superstitions in sport is a topic that has been researched to some degree from the perspective of the athlete. Media outlets such as ESPN, ABC, and CBC Sports Online have [...]

This study sought to examine whether social support moderates the relationship between stress eating and body mass index (BMI) change over the freshman year in males and females. This longitudinal study included 70 college students (72.9% female; M age = 18.23) who completed self-reported measures of stress eating and perceived social support, with objective height and weight measurements collected. Among males, social support moderated the relationship between stress eating and BMI change. Among males, social support may serve as a buffer against the impact of stress eating on weight gain during the freshman year of college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a biopsychosocial model of food insecurity, this study examined differences in physical health and mental health outcomes among young adults (N = 98) with and without a history of food insecurity. Young adults with a history of food insecurity had higher average levels of body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, depressive symptoms, stress, and disordered eating scores than individuals with no history of food insecurity. No differences were found with symptoms of anxiety. Future research should examine interventions targeted at decreasing negative mental health outcomes and risk for overweight among young adults who have experienced food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]