Effect of depressed mood in eating among obese and nonobese dieting and nondieting persons.

This study explored the relationship among obesity, depressed mood, current dieting habits, and eating. Depressed or nondepressed mood was induced in obese are nonobese dieters and nondieters. As predicted, dieters ate more when depressed than when nondepressed, and nondieters ate less when depressed than when nondepressed. That is, both groups reversed their typical eating patterns when depressed. Also as predicted, among depressed students, dieters ate more than nondieters; among nondepressed students, dieters at less than nondieters. The above pattern of results was found both for obese students and for nonobese students. Dieting habits were highlighted as a more salient variable than obesity in predicting eating responses to depressed mood. These findings are discussed with respect to the psychosomatic theory of obesity, Schachter's stimulus-binding theory of obesity, previous investigations of clinical depression, and Herman and Polivy's theory of restrained eating.