Date of Award
1-1-2023
Language
English
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
College/School/Department
Department of Psychology
Content Description
1 online resource (ii, 30 pages) : illustrations
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
Julia M. Hormes
Keywords
binge eating, emerging adults, food cravings, purging, Compulsive eating, Eating disorders, Young adults
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Weight suppression (WS), the difference between an individual’s current and highest adult weight, is predictive of bulimic symptoms and poor eating disorder treatment outcomes, but findings from non-clinical samples have been mixed. Cravings are strong urges for specific foods that are subjectively difficult to resist. Food cravings are now widely conceptualized as cognitive-affective states characterized by intrusive thoughts that are perceived as distressing and can interfere with adaptive functioning. Food cravings are known antecedents of binge eating, but little is known about how they interact with WS. This study examines the obsessive-compulsive aspects of food cravings as potential moderators of the association between WS and bingeing and vomiting in emerging adults. Emerging adults (n=144, 60.4% female) self-reported their height and current and past highest adult weight and completed the Binge Eating Scale, Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, and Obsessive Compulsive Eating Scale. Main and interactive effects of WS and food cravings on bulimic symptoms were examined in regression models. There were significant main effects of food cravings on bingeing and purging with those endorsing more cravings engaging in these behaviors more frequently. WS alone did not consistently predict bingeing or vomiting frequency. There were only small interactive effects of craving and WS and overall, those high in craving engaged in more frequent bingeing regardless of WS status. Food cravings are a significant driver of binge eating and should be accounted for in future research, including studies on WS in clinical and non-clinical samples.
Recommended Citation
Cruz Garcia, Susana, "The moderating role of food cravings in the relationship between weight suppression and binge eating and purging in emerging adults" (2023). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 3105.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/3105