---
title: Do body weight and eating control affect whether hormones cause emotional eating?
description: Hormones affect emotional eating. Body weight does not change this relationship, though strict eating control might have a small effect.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/ovarian-hormones-and-emotional-eating-associations-across-the-menstrual-cycle-an-2013/
---

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- Do body weight and eating control affect whether hormones cause emotional eating?

Survey study, 2013

# Do body weight and eating control affect whether hormones cause emotional eating?

Hormones affect emotional eating. Body weight does not change this relationship, though strict eating control might have a small effect.

 Moderate study design

196 women

## What they did

196 women reported emotional eating daily for 45 days and provided saliva samples for hormone measurement. Body weight and eating control were measured 3 times and averaged.

## What they found

Changes in estradiol and progesterone combined predicted emotional eating. Body weight did not change this relationship. Eating control showed a trend toward strengthening estradiol's effects in women who restrict eating highly, but this was not definitive.

## What it means for you

Hormones cause emotional eating fluctuations. Body weight and strict eating control don't fully explain individual differences, though eating control may play a small role in some women. More research is needed.

196

Women studied

45 days

Study duration

hormones

Predicted eating patterns

## About the study

Original title Ovarian hormones and emotional eating associations across the menstrual cycle: an examination of the potential moderating effects of body mass index and dietary restraint Authors Klump KL, Keel PK, Burt SA et al. Journal The International journal of eating disorders Year 2013 Study design Survey study Participants 196 What was tested None - tracked natural hormone and eating patterns Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1002/eat.22084](https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22084)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)

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