Psychological Consequences of Food Restriction

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Abstract

A review of the literature and research on food restriction indicates that inhibiting food intake has consequences that may not have been anticipated by those attempting such restriction. Starvation and self-imposed dieting appear to result in eating binges once food is available and in psychological manifestations such as preoccupation with food and eating, increased emotional responsiveness and dysphoria, and distractibility. Caution is thus advisable in counseling clients to restrict their eating and diet to lose weight, as the negative sequelae may outweigh the benefits of restraining one's eating. Instead, healthful, balanced eating without specific food restrictions should be recommended as a long-term strategy to avoid the perils of restrictive dieting. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:589-592.

Section snippets

Studies of Effects of Food Restriction

The classic psychological study of food restriction, the World War II study of conscientious objectors by Keys et al (1), provides the most compelling data. Normal-weight (presumably nondieting) men were asked to restrict their eating for 6 months to lose 25% of their initial body weight, so that the effects of starvation could be studied. The men were fed only 75% of their normal intake, and when they stopped losing weight while consuming that intake, their food was further restricted until

Laboratory Studies of Chronic Food Restricters — Eating Studies

For the past 20 years, Peter Herman (University of Toronto, St George Campus) and I, along with assorted students and colleagues, have been investigating the psychological effects of chronic dieting on women attempting to lose weight. As measured by our 10-item restraint scale (9) (see Fig), this personality trait is essentially equivalent to chronic (or at least intermittent) dieting, so we use the terms restrained eater and dieter fairly interchangeably. The restraint scale asks 10 questions

Cognitive and Emotional Effects of Restrained Eating

The participants in the study by Keys et al (1) and others undergoing semistarvation exhibited cognitive and emotional changes or differences when their food intake was restricted. Restrained college students who are presumably limiting their eating to some extent at least some of the time, show similar differences from nondeprived, unrestrained students. Patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa, another group of food-deprived persons, exhibit similar differences from nondeprived normal

Conclusions and Implications For Dietitians

The consequences of food deprivation are extraordinarily similar in animals and in human beings. This appears to be true whether the food restriction for human beings is involuntary, that is, controlled by external forces, or a voluntary choice to restrain one's eating, either for the benefit of science (as in the starvation study by Keys et al (1)) or for personal goals (eg, those of dieters or patients with eating disorders). Both display a tendency toward excessive eating or even bingeing

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