Relationship between test anxiety and restrained eating using estimates of the calorie content of food

Abstract

The relationship between test anxiety and restrained eating, as assessed by estimates of the calorie content of food was investigated. Female undergraduate students (N=169) participated in the study. They were shown two “healthy” (fruits) and four “unhealthy” foods (chocolate, potato chips, etc.), and were asked to estimate the calorie content of each food item. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing their test anxiety, as well as the Revised Restrained Scale. Results indicated that restrained eaters were more likely than unrestrained eaters to underestimate the calorie content of healthy food, regardless of their anxiety status. This finding suggested that restrained eaters, who are concerned with managing their weight, believe that healthy foods do not affect potential weight gain, which supported the health halo effect. Moreover, restrained eaters with low anxiety overestimated calories in sweets, which are unhealthy food, whereas restrained eaters with high anxiety underestimated their calories. These biases suggest that lower calorie estimation of unhealthy foods allowed restrained eaters to feel fewer cognitive conflicts associated with eating as an emotion regulation strategy.View full abstract