Coaction of Obesity Treatment–Associated Changes in Physical Activity and Emotional Eating: Mediation by Body Satisfaction

Abstract

Background

Research on coaction suggests improvements in physical activity and emotional eating will occur in a reciprocal manner.

Aims

To determine if changes in body satisfaction mediate relations between physical activity and emotional eating changes and if age affects degree of change in those variables.

Method

Groups of early adult (n = 43) and middle-age (n = 52) women participants of a community-based obesity treatment were assessed on behavioral and psychological variables over 3 and 6 months.

Results

Improvements in physical activity, anxiety-related emotional eating, body satisfaction, anxiety, and exercise self-efficacy were significant overall. Early adults demonstrated greater reductions in emotional eating. Physical activity increase over 3 months significantly predicted 6-month reduction in emotional eating but not vice versa. Body satisfaction change significantly mediated the physical activity–emotional eating relationships. Changes in anxiety and exercise self-efficacy moderated activity → emotional eating and body satisfaction → physical activity relationships, respectively.

Conclusion

Findings can inform both theory and behavioral obesity interventions.