Enhanced behavioral inhibition in restrained eaters

Impulsivity has been found to play a decisive role in both addiction and disordered eating. Behavioral and self-report measures show impulsive tendencies to even occur in non-clinical samples, e.g. restrained eaters. Within this group, these traits interact with high reactivity to food-related cues leading to overeating. The aim of the present study was to investigate if restrained eaters show this behavioral disinhibition specifically in response to food-cues. Participants performed a Go/No-Go-task with stimuli encircled by pictures of high caloric foods or neutral objects. In contrast to our hypotheses, participants with medium-to-high restrained eating made less commission errors in response to both food and neutral pictures than unrestrained eaters. Additionally, participants' inhibitory performance in the high-restrained group were enhanced in the presence of food pictures. Results are in line with expanding evidence of counteractive-control mechanisms when restrained eaters are confronted with tempting food-related cues.