Features and Trajectories of Eating Behavior in Weight-Loss Maintenance: Results from the German Weight Control Registry

Abstract

Objective: Eating behaviors such as dietary restraint and disinhibition caused by emotional and external cues play a relevant role in weight-loss maintenance.

Methods: Four hundred forty individuals with successful weight-loss maintenance included in the prospective German Weight Control Registry completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Participants were categorized into the following two weight groups: stable weight trajectory (WS) (n = 280) and unstable weight trajectory (WUS) (n = 160) over the 2-year assessment period.

Results: Those with successful weight-loss maintenance had significantly higher scores on the restrained and emotional eating subscales compared with a general population (GP) sample. At baseline, the WS individuals had lower restrained, emotional, and external eating scores compared with the WUS individuals. Over the 2-year follow-up period, the trajectories of the restraint scores decreased in both groups but stayed elevated compared with the GP sample. Scores of the emotional and external eating subscales remained stable in the WS group but increased in the WUS group.

Conclusions: A certain degree of restraint seems to be necessary for successful weight-loss maintenance; however, high emotional and external eating may counteract this effect, resulting in weight regain in the long run.