Following a high calorie preload, 79 participants aged 18–40 completed a deceptive taste test in which they were encouraged to eat as much of the taste test foods as desired, and this
Although each predictor (except negative mood) predicted consumption when tested individually, regression analyses revealed that dieting flexibility and current hunger were the strongest unique predictors of intake. Mood failed to directly predict food consumption, nor did it moderate the relationship between restraint and food intake.
Collectively, findings suggest that emphasis on dietary restraint in preload studies may be misplaced, as other proximal and stable factors may better predict food consumption.