Objectives: To test the hypotheses that induction of negative mood in obese binge eaters would increase food intake, and that this would be greatest in those who were highly restrained.
Design: Experimental manipulation of mood (neutral vs sad film) prior to the presentation of food in a taste test.
Participants: A total of 40 obese female binge eaters (41.7 y, mean BMI=40.2 kg/m(2)).
Measures: Visual analogue assessment of mood and hunger motivation, dietary restraint (Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire), and food intake.
Results: Exposure to the sad film resulted in a significant decrease in mood for both restrained and unrestrained participants. Those in the negative mood condition ate significantly more food, and the restrained eaters consumed the most. However, the expected restraint by mood interaction just failed to reach significance (P=0.06)
Conclusions: The salience of negative mood in promoting overeating was confirmed. Conversely, dietary restraint had no significant impact on food intake. Further experimental work on binge eating in this group would be of value in clarifying the role of dieting and informing treatment approaches.