Overeating and restrained eaters. An affective neuroscience perspective

Some subjects may overeat when they experience anxiety, even if they chronically restrict their food consumption. This contradictory behavior is a dysfunctional emotional regulation mechanism, which promotes the development of obesity and eating disorders. We review studies from a research program where alimentary restriction and overeating are conceived under the perspective of affective neuroscience. In this framework, restrained eaters (RE) are described as subjects that are emotionally vulnerable and have dysfunctional emotional modulation strategies. We discuss empiric evidence about the influence of motivational systems of alimentary behavior. Electrophysiological observations in RE reveal a self-referential processing of food stimulus as well as dysfunctional processing during the differentiation of emotional expression. We stress the role of emotional education and the creation of psychometric instruments designed for early detection of restrained eaters (Rev Med Chile 2008; 136: 1336-42).