Food cravings in overweight and obese adults: the role of weight locus of control

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are global health problems with a multifactorial etiology. Locus of control (LOC) is an important psychological factor associated with obesity and weight management, and it has also been suggested to relate to eating behaviors. However, findings regarding the relationships between LOC, body weight status, and eating behaviors remain inconsistent. In addition, the association between food cravings (FC), a clinically relevant eating-related construct associated with eating behavior and weight gain, and weight LOC has not yet been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships among weight LOC, body mass index (BMI), and FC in adults with overweight or obesity. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 867 adults aged 18-64 years with a BMI of >= 25.0 kg/m & sup2; who were living in the province of K & imath;rklareli, T & uuml;rkiye. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that comprised a Descriptive Information Form, the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait-Reduced (FCQ-T-r), and the Multidimensional Weight Locus of Control Scale (MWLCS). The findings showed that BMI was positively associated with internal weight LOC and FC. Furthermore, internal weight LOC, chance, and other people external weight LOC was positively associated with the total FC score, as well as the subscale scores for preoccupation with food and loss of control over eating. Although the observed associations were generally modest, these findings suggest that beliefs regarding weight control may be associated with body weight status and FC. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the temporal direction and underlying psychosocial mechanisms of these associations.