INFLUENCE OF DIET ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING–A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/eijmhs.v10i3.238Keywords:
Diet, Emotions, Emotional Eating, Mindful Eating, Gender Differences, Dietary Self-regulation, Emotional Well-beingAbstract
The influence of diet on emotions explores how dietary choices can impact mood, cognition, and emotional well-being, highlighting the intricate relationship between nutrition and mental health. This study explores how diet and emotions interact, particularly examining gender differences in emotional and mindful eating behaviours among 102 participants in Urban Bengaluru through personal interviews and online surveys. Key findings from the Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ) and Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) reveal significant trends: 66% of respondents use food to cope with anxiety, while 45% struggle to control sweets, particularly chocolates, and 43% emotionally eat under stress, anger, or boredom; nearly half 49% feel guilt after consuming forbidden foods and 50% overeat while dieting, indicating the challenges in dietary control. Statistical analyses, including Chi-square and ANOVA tests, affirm significant gender-based disparities in eating behaviours and emotional responses. Females demonstrate higher susceptibility to emotional triggers such as anxiety, stress, or boredom, contributing to greater emotional eating tendencies and challenges in mindful eating and males exhibit lower engagement in emotional eating behaviours but may demonstrate less mindfulness during eating; 22% of males versus 18% of females feel controlled by food. Addressing these gender specific patterns through targeted interventions aimed at enhancing emotional regulation and promoting mindful eating practices is crucial for fostering healthier eating behaviours and improving emotional well-being across genders.
References
Afiqah, S. N., Rashid, A., & Iguchi, Y. (2022). Transition experiences of the Malay Muslim Trans women in Northern Region of Malaysia: A qualitative study. Dialogues in Health, 1, 100033.
Bernabéu E, Marchena C, Iglesias MT. Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) in Spanish Colleges. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 5;17(23):9090. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17239090. PMID: 33291442; PMCID: PMC7730267.
Berk, M., Williams, L. J., Jacka, F. N., O’Neil, A., Pasco, J. A., Moylan, S., ... & Maes, M. (2013). So depression is an inflammatory disease, but where does the inflammation come from?. BMC medicine, 11(1), 200.
Călinescu, A. (2020). "Stomach's Always Going to Catch Up with You": An Interdisciplinary Approach to Emotional Eating. European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 12(2).
Dietrich, A., Federbusch, M., Grellmann, C., Villringer, A., & Horstmann, A. (2014). Body weight status, eating behaviour, sensitivity to reward/punishment, and gender: relationships and interdependencies. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 1073.
Foster, K. R., Schluter, J., Coyte, K. Z., & Rakoff-Nahoum, S. (2017). The evolution of the host microbiome as an ecosystem on a leash. Nature, 548(7665), 43-51.
Framson, C., Kristal, A. R., Schenk, J. M., Littman, A. J., Zeliadt, S., & Benitez, D. (2009). Development and validation of the mindful eating questionnaire. Journal of the American dietetic Association, 109(8), 1439-1444.
Frayn, M., & Knäuper, B. (2018). Emotional eating and weight in adults: a review. Current Psychology, 37, 924-933.
Garaulet, M., Canteras, M., Morales, E., López-Guimerà, G., Sánchez-Carracedo, D., & Corbalán-Tutau, M. D. (2012). Validation of a questionnaire on emotional eating for use in cases of obesity; the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ). Nutrición hospitalaria, 27(2), 645-651.
Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., Białek-Dratwa, A., Sobczyk, K., Grot, M., Kowalski, O., & Staśkiewicz, W. (2022). Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 943998.
Grosso, G., Pajak, A., Marventano, S., Castellano, S., Galvano, F., Bucolo, C., ... & Caraci, F. (2014). Role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of depressive disorders: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. PloS one, 9(5), e96905.
Jacka, F. N., Cherbuin, N., Anstey, K. J., & Butterworth, P. (2014). Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms over time: examining the relationships with socioeconomic position, health behaviours and cardiovascular risk. PloS one, 9(1), e87657.
Jacob, J. S., & Panwar, N. (2023). Effect of age and gender on dietary patterns, mindful eating, body image and confidence. BMC psychology, 11(1), 264.
Keskin Karakoyun, H., Yüksel, Ş. K., Amanoglu, I., Naserikhojasteh, L., Yeşilyurt, A., Yakıcıer, C., ... & Akyerli, C. B. (2023). Evaluation of AlphaFold structure-based protein stability prediction on missense variations in cancer. Frontiers in Genetics, 14, 1052383.
Leblanc, V., Bégin, C., Corneau, L., Dodin, S., & Lemieux, S. (2015). Gender differences in dietary intakes: what is the contribution of motivational variables?. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 28(1), 37-46.
Lyman, B. (1989). The relation between emotions and food preferences. In A Psychology of Food: More Than a Matter of Taste (pp. 44-54). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427-436.
Mayer, E. A., Tillisch, K., & Gupta, A. (2015). Gut/brain axis and the microbiota. The Journal of clinical investigation, 125(3), 926-938.
Muscaritoli, M. (2021). The impact of nutrients on mental health and well-being: insights from the literature. Frontiers in nutrition, 8, 656290.
Prasad, C. (1998). Food, mood and health: a neurobiologic outlook. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 31, 1517-1527.
Putri, W. A., Widodo, A., & Solihat, R. (2024). Is there any Difference between Males and Females in Mindful Eating?. Prisma Sains: Jurnal Pengkajian Ilmu dan Pembelajaran Matematika dan IPA IKIP Mataram, 12(1), 49-60.
Torrado, M. (2016). Food regime analysis in a post‐neoliberal era: Argentina and the expansion of transgenic soybeans. Journal of Agrarian Change, 16(4), 693-701.
Wardle, J., Steptoe, A., Oliver, G., & Lipsey, Z. (2000). Stress, dietary restraint and food intake. Journal of psychosomatic research, 48(2), 195-202.
