Relationship between three factor eating questionnaire-restraint subscale and food intake

Objective: Dietary restraint refers to an individual's intention to restrict food intake, measured via self-report questionnaires, whereas dietary restriction refers to actual reduction in caloric intake. The aim of this research was to investigate the association between dietary restraint scales and actual caloric restriction. Method: Data were collected from six previously published or two ongoing eating behavior studies in which participants (n = 183) completed the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and participated in a laboratory-based research lunch meal. Participants were individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and healthy controls (HC). The primary analysis was the association between TFEQ Restraint subscale and caloric intake in the meal. Results: There was a significant negative correlation between total caloric intake and TFEQ Restraint scores (r = −.60, p <.001) and EDE-Q Restraint scores (r = −.54, p <.001). For TFEQ Restraint score, this relationship was significant within each diagnostic group (HC: r = −.32, p =.007; AN: r = −.38, p <.001; BN: r = −.43, p =.02). Discussion: These results suggest that the TFEQ Restraint scale is a useful measure of dietary restriction, especially among individuals with eating disorders.