Mood and Food Cravings in Overweight and Obese Australian Adults: Clues to Treatment in Food Diaries

The objective of this study was to examine food diaries from 89 female overweight and obese adults participating in a treatment trial for food cravings. For two weeks prior to beginning treatment and for the duration of the four-week treatment, all participants were required to complete a daily food monitoring sheet or diary in real-time, indicating all quantities of food/drink eaten throughout a day and whether the item was a craving item for them. The diaries were examined for narrative statements and categorized with regard to common content, resulting in seven themes (Physiological; Enjoyment/Celebration; Missing Out; Reward; Wastage; Emotive and External Environment). Participants also completed a battery of self-report questionnaires relating to food cravings, eating behaviour and psychological symptoms. Results indicated that the most common themes recorded included Wastage, Emotive and Reward and the most frequent number of cravings recorded per day ranged from one to three.