Obesity, anxiety, and food consumption

This study examined the relation between level of anxiety (relaxation, low, and high) and food consumption among obese and normal weight individuals. Obese individuals ate significantly less when highly anxious than when mildly anxious. Their consumption when relaxed was at an intermediate level. Normal weight people ate similar amounts at all levels of anxiety. These data were not consistent with the prediction of psychosomatic theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1957) that obese people eat more when anxious than calm. The findings were partially consistent with Robbins and Fray's (1980) hypothesis that for obese people there is a curvilinear relation between anxiety and eating with maximum food consumption occuring at moderate levels of anxiety. The data in this study suggest that level of anxiety is an important factor to consider in understanding the influence of anxiety on eating behavior.