Emotional eating is associated with weight loss success among adults enrolled in a weight loss program.

To examine associations between decreased emotional eating and weight loss success; and whether participation in a behavioral weight loss intervention was associated with a greater reduction in emotional eating over time compared to usual care. Secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted at two university medical centers with 227 overweight adults with diabetes. Logistic and standard regression analyses examined associations between emotional eating change and weight loss success (i.e., weight loss of ≥7 % of body weight and decrease in BMI). After 6 months of intervention, decreased emotional eating was associated with greater odds of weight loss success (p = .05). The odds of weight loss success for subjects with decreased emotional eating at 12 months were 1.70 times higher than for subjects with increased emotional eating. No differences in change in emotional eating were found between subjects in the behavioral weight loss intervention and usual care. Strategies to reduce emotional eating may be useful to promote greater weight loss among overweight adults with diabetes.