--- title: Do eating habits change differently before the period in obese versus non-obese women? description: Yes. Both groups show increases in binge-eating symptoms before their period, but the cause differs: in non-obese women, eating changes correlate with mood sy url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/eating-attitudes-and-behavior-throughout-the-menstrual-cycle-in-obese-women-a-2000/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do eating habits change differently before the period in obese versus non-obese women? Case-control study, 2000 # Do eating habits change differently before the period in obese versus non-obese women? Yes. Both groups show increases in binge-eating symptoms before their period, but the cause differs: in non-obese women, eating changes correlate with mood symptoms, while in obese women they correlate with physical symptoms. Moderate study design 107 obese women and 93 non-obese control women ## What they did Case-control study of 107 obese women and 93 non-obese control women. Researchers used both retrospective questionnaires (looking back at patterns) and prospective daily logs to track eating behavior, physical complaints, and mood symptoms throughout the menstrual cycle. ## What they found Binge-eating symptom scores increased in the premenstrual phase in both groups: in obese women, 6.2 ± 5.3 before menstruation versus 4.9 ± 4.4 after (p < 0.05); in controls, 4.9 ± 4.1 before versus 4.2 ± 3.0 after (p < 0.05). In non-obese women, eating symptom scores correlated with premenstrual complaints (r = 0.5; p < 0.05), but in obese women this correlation was weak (r = 0.2; not significant). In obese women, physical and psychological symptoms were closely related. ## What it means for you Premenstrual eating changes occur in all women studied, but the connection to other symptoms differs between groups. In obese women, eating changes may reflect physical discomfort more than mood changes. Treatments might need to target eating behaviors specifically in obese women, rather than focusing only on mood. 107 obese women studied 6.2 vs 4.9 binge score premenstrual vs postmenstrual 93 non-obese control women ## About the study Original title Eating attitudes and behavior throughout the menstrual cycle in obese women: a case-control study Authors Zucchi T, Mannucci E, Ricca V et al. Journal Eating and weight disorders : EWD Year 2000 Study design Case-control study Participants 107 What was tested None. This is an observational study. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/bf03353435](https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03353435) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2019 Is stress linked to PMS? Survey study, 2018 Does what or how adolescents eat matter for PMS? Case-control study, 2010 Do women with PMDD crave high-sugar and high-fat foods more than other women? Survey study, 2026 Is PMS or PMDD linked to eating disorders? Survey study, 2026 Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders? Survey study, 2025 Does what women eat affect how severe their PMS is? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗