Hedonic Appetite, Affect, and Loss of Control Eating: Macrotemporal and Microtemporal Associations in Adolescents

Abstract Objective Loss of control eating (LOC) is a dysregulated eating behavior relevant to eating disorders and weight-related health concerns. Hedonic appetite and affect (positive/negative) are dynamic microtemporal processes that influence LOC, but they have been studied predominantly in a static, macrotemporal manner. The present study examined associations of hedonic appetite and positive/negative affect, on macrotemporal and microtemporal levels, with LOC in adolescents. Methods Adolescent participants 13–18 years old (n = 43; Mage = 15.1, SD = 1.6; 69.8% female) completed smartphone surveys for 6 evenings, assessing LOC, hedonic appetite, and positive/negative affect. Scores on items were calculated to create microtemporal and macrotemporal assessments of these constructs. Multilevel models were run to examine associations between hedonic appetite and positive/negative affect with LOC. Results Both macrotemporal and microtemporal hedonic appetite were significantly positively related to LOC (β = .73, p