CLOCK 3111 T/C SNP interacts with emotional eating behavior for weight-loss in a Mediterranean population

The goals of this research was (1) to analyze the role of emotional eating behavior on weight-loss progression during a 30-week weight-loss program in 1,272 individuals from a large Mediterranean population and (2) to test for interaction between CLOCK 3111 T/C SNP and emotional eating behavior on the effectiveness of the weight-loss program. A total of 1,272 overweight and obese participants (BMI: 31±5 kg/m2), aged 20 to 65 years, attending outpatient weight-loss clinics were recruited for this analysis. Emotional eating behavior was assessed by the Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ), a questionnaire validated for overweight and obese Spanish subjects. Anthropometric measures, dietary intake and weight-loss progression were assessed and analyzed throughout the 30-week program. Multivariate analysis and linear regression models were performed to test for gene-environment interaction. Weight-loss progression during the 30-week program differed significantly according to the degree of emotional eating behavior. Participants classified as 'very emotional eaters' experienced more irregular (P = 0.007) weight-loss, with a lower rate of weight decline (-0.002 vs. -0.003, P = 11), lost significantly less weight than those C carriers with a low emotional score (