The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, body mass index, and responses to sweet and salty fatty foods: a twin study of genetic and environmental associations.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: The relation between body weight and energy-dense foods remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the effects of genetic and environmental factors on cognitive and emotional aspects of dieting behavior, body mass index (BMI), and responses to fatty foods and on their relations. DESIGN: A total of 1326 adult twin persons (aged 17-82 y; 17% M and 83% F) from the United Kingdom and Finland completed the revised version of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) and reported the liking and use-frequency of 4 sweet-and-fatty and salty-and-fatty food items (6 items in the United Kingdom and 5 items in Finland). Genetic modeling was done by using linear structural equations. RESULTS: Heritability estimates were calculated separately for the countries and sexes; they were 26-63% for cognitive restraint, 45-69% for uncontrolled eating, and 9-45% for emotional eating, respectively. Of the variation in liking and use-frequency of fatty foods, 24-54% was attributed to interindividual genetic differences. No significant correlations were observed between BMI and fatty food use or liking. However, BMI was positively (mostly genetically) correlated (genetic r = 0.16-0.51) with all of the dieting behaviors, and they correlated with fatty food use and liking ratings. Uncontrolled eating was both genetically and environmentally associated with liking for salty-and-fatty foods (genetic and environmental r = 0.16), and emotional eating was genetically associated with liking for sweet-and-fatty foods (genetic r = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: The relation between BMI and diet appears to be mediated through dieting behaviors. Dietary counseling should focus on unhealthy dieting behaviors rather than only on direct advice on food use.

Author information

Author/s: Keskitalo, Kaisu (K); Tuorila, Hely (H); Spector, Tim D (TD); Cherkas, Lynn F (LF); Knaapila, Antti (A); Kaprio, Jaakko (J); Silventoinen, Karri (K); Perola, Markus (M);

Affiliation: Departments of Food Technology and Mental Health and Alcohol Studies, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. kaisu.keskitalo(-atsign-)helsinki.fi

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Twin Study

Journal: The American journal of clinical nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Aug; vol 88 (issue 2) : pp 263-71

Dates: Created 2008/08/11; Completed 2008/09/12; Revised 2009/05/15;

PMID: 18689360, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/15/2009, IMS Date: )

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