Executive functions and the self-regulation of eating behavior: A review
Abstract
In order to pursue the long-term goal of losing weight, a dieter needs to resist the urge to eat appealing, tasty foods. Beside sufficient motivation to resist these foods, dieters also need the capacity for successful self-regulation, and this capacity is strongly related to executive functions. Executive function is an umbrella term encompassing a number of interrelated higher-order cognitive processes that allow people to take goal-directed action. In this review, we outline how basic facets of executive functioning (updating, inhibiting, and shifting) contribute to the successful self-regulation of eating behavior. Moreover, we identify aspects of the self-regulation of eating behavior that are still under-researched. We conclude by outlining the implications of the extant research for intervention strategies and the design of future research studies on the role of executive functions for the self-regulation of eating behavior.
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Obesity (similar to SUD) is associated with deficits in executive functioning.
“Research has shown that obesity (similar to SUD) is associated with deficits in executive functioning, an umbrella term encompassing the higher-order cognitive processes that help people take goal-directed action [66].”
From Food Addiction and Psychosocial Adversity: Biological Embedding, Contextual Factors, and Public Health Implications (2020) · cites this paper as [66]
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- Authors
- Dohle, S., Diel, K., & Hofmann, W.
- Affiliations
- University of Cologne (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Dohle, Simone
- Venue
- Appetite
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-05
- Volume
- 124
- Pages
- 4-9
- ISSN
- 0195-6663 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2618265115
- Cited by
- 305
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 3.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Appetite (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Kölner Universitäts PublikationsServer (Universität zu Köln) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- executive function, self-regulation, dietary habits, dieting, weight loss, cognitive control, working memory updating, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, goal-directed behavior, food temptation
- MeSH terms
- Self-Control, Eating, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Taste, Weight Loss, Health Behavior, Executive Function
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