Thesis (Ph.D.) in Psychology--University of Maine, 2008. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-125).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2009. / Thesis directed by David A. Smith for the Department of Psychology. "July 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-81).

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Compulsive eating behavior is a transdiagnostic construct that shares many behavioral, neurobiological, and theoretical features with compulsive drug use. The focus of this dissertation is to progress a framework for compulsive eating behavior, including identification of risk factors for its development and examination of functional neuroadaptations to brain reward systems in an animal model of compulsive eating. We first investigated impulsivity (impulsive choice and impulsive action) as a potential vulnerability factor for the development of binge and compulsive eating behavior. Impulsivity has been implicated in drug addiction as well as eating disorders and obesity, but its exact role in the conferment of risk for compulsive eating is unknown. To achieve this, we measured impulsive choice (i.e. delay discounting) and impulsive action (i.e. motor impulsivity) and subsequent binge-like eating. We observed no effects of impulsive choice behavior on binge-like eating of palatable food; however, impulsive action predicted higher binge-like eating, higher motivation for palatable food, and increased compulsive-eating behavior. Therefore, impulsive action, but not impulsive choice, predicted the development of binge- and compulsive-like eating behaviors. The second aim of this dissertation was to investigate functional neuroadaptations to brain reward pathways in rats with a history of palatable diet alternation, a model of compulsive eating. Overeating of palatable food, similar to exposure to drugs of abuse, is hypothesized to cause reward deficits via downregulation of mesolimbic dopamine systems. To investigate this, we measured sensitivity to d-Amphetamine using behavioral and neurochemical methods. To identify potential neuroadaptations to the dopamine and dopamine transporter (DAT) systems, we assessed baseline NAc-shell dopamine and DAT function in vivo. In rats with a history of palatable diet alternation, we observed deficits in the stimulating, reward-enhancing, and rewarding effects of d-Amphetamine, and impaired d-Amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux in the NAc-shell. Furthermore, dopamine and dopamine transporter systems were downregulated evidenced by decreased extracellular NAc-shell dopamine at baseline and decreased DAT function. These results contribute to an overall framework for compulsive eating behavior where initial impulsivity predisposes compulsive eating and compulsive eating results in the emergence of reward deficits. / 2021-06-14T00:00:00Z

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2012 / The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between binge eating disorder and personality traits. Studying personality characteristics may eventually enable us to identify individuals at heightened risk for developing binge eating, and to use this information to design more effective prevention and early intervention strategies. 138 females and 42 males participated in this study. Questionnaires using the EDI, EAT-26 and 16PF as well as an interview schedule were adopted for the study. Results revealed that there appeared to be a significant positive relationship between the EAT-26 and factor O (apprehension-self assured) and factor Q 4(tension-relaxed). There appears to be a significant positive relationship between the EDI and factor I (sensitive versus tough minded), factor L (suspicious versus accepting), factor O (insecure versus complacent) and factor Q4 (tense versus relaxed and easy going). Factor O (apprehension-self assured) appears to predict the scores obtained on the EAT-26 and the propensity to develop binge eating disorder. Factor O (insecure versus complacent) and Q4 (tense versus relaxed) were able to predict the scores on the EDI and the propensity to develop binge eating disorder. Secondary aims of the study revealed that there appears to be a relationship between body image disturbance and the total EAT-26 and EDI scores respectively. This means that participants scoring high on the body dissatisfaction subscale of the EDI will also score higher on the EAT-26 total. There appeared to be a positive relationship between gender of the participants and the total scores of the EAT-26 and EDI respectively. There were 2 interviews carried and the results of the interviews reinforced the quantitative data and previous research on binge eating disorder (Belangee et al, 2003) that personality traits are link to the development of binge eating disorder.

In recent years, food addiction has become a popular construct believed to have serious behavioral, emotional and physical consequences. However, its scientific validity is still under investigation. This dissertation evaluated whether food addiction is a valid mental disorder, substance-related disorder, and addiction in three parts. Part 1 reviewed the phenomenological, animal and neurological evidence to assess whether food addiction has face validity and conducted a systematic literature review of studies estimating the prevalence, validating measures, and/or assessing correlates of human food addiction to evaluate construct validity. Part 2 used two community-based convenience samples to assess whether operationalized measures of food addiction are reliable and valid. Part 3 used two large cohorts of nurses to evaluate whether food addiction is associated with potentially positively reinforcing nutrients, food items and food groups. The literature review established that food addiction has face validity, and to some degree, construct validity. The first analytic paper found that the internal and test-retest reliabilities of both scales were moderate to good, and the shorter Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale compared with the original Yale Food Addiction Scale had good sensitivity and negative predictive value. The second analytic paper found strong positive associations between food addiction and consumption of fats and sodium, non-sweet fatty foods, diet foods, and some salty and sweet foods, no association with most starchy and salty food items, and an inverse association with fruits and vegetables. It also found unexpected strong inverse associations between sugar and food addiction, contradicting the popular “sugar addiction” hypothesis. Prospective analyses should reexamine these findings to eliminate potential reverse causation bias. Taken together, this dissertation supported food addiction as a valid mental disorder, substance-related disorder and addiction, although some findings contradicted a priori hypotheses, and gaps in the literature remain.

Looking at humankind and all the weight issues/problems, researchers ask one question: "Why do some people have problems with compulsive eating?" Throughout the years many studies has been done about Bulimia and Anorexia as eating behaviours, but not a lot of studies have been done about the theological area concerning research on compulsive eating disorders. From a Biblical and Christian-theological perspective, we find that God created the human as a being who is good and pure but as a result of disobedience, we are all sinners. Through sin, humankind is polluted; therefore humankind struggles to be in control of its own nature in itself. Because of sin, the whole trinity and harmony between God and His creation was disturbed. With a plan and a solution, God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that He could die for our sins on the cross. Jesus Christ, our Mediator, return to help us restore the balance between food and humankind. Looking at other social science research, we can see that eating disorders have been looked at and discussed in the medical world for at least the last century. An empirical research has been done with persons who believe that they are compulsive eaters. Through research, they discovered that the participants either had a very unpleasant childhood or during adulthood had had very difficult or unhappy relationships. It is because of these reasons that the researcher tried to establish that pastoral counseling could possibly help with healing. It can be a long and hard road to recovery because compulsive eating disorders can also be related to addiction. Research has shown that each person has to work on his/her relationships with him, God our Father, humankind and nature. The counselee has to acknowledge that he has a problem and there must be a deep desire to get healed systematically the counselee gets help/counseling through proposals as well as through deliberation. The counselee has to have a will to get healed as well as have the dedication to get rid of the addiction or habit through the help and strength of our beloved Father. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Looking at humankind and all the weight issues/problems, researchers ask one question: "Why do some people have problems with compulsive eating?" Throughout the years many studies has been done about Bulimia and Anorexia as eating behaviours, but not a lot of studies have been done about the theological area concerning research on compulsive eating disorders. From a Biblical and Christian-theological perspective, we find that God created the human as a being who is good and pure but as a result of disobedience, we are all sinners. Through sin, humankind is polluted; therefore humankind struggles to be in control of its own nature in itself. Because of sin, the whole trinity and harmony between God and His creation was disturbed. With a plan and a solution, God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that He could die for our sins on the cross. Jesus Christ, our Mediator, return to help us restore the balance between food and humankind. Looking at other social science research, we can see that eating disorders have been looked at and discussed in the medical world for at least the last century. An empirical research has been done with persons who believe that they are compulsive eaters. Through research, they discovered that the participants either had a very unpleasant childhood or during adulthood had had very difficult or unhappy relationships. It is because of these reasons that the researcher tried to establish that pastoral counseling could possibly help with healing. It can be a long and hard road to recovery because compulsive eating disorders can also be related to addiction. Research has shown that each person has to work on his/her relationships with him, God our Father, humankind and nature. The counselee has to acknowledge that he has a problem and there must be a deep desire to get healed systematically the counselee gets help/counseling through proposals as well as through deliberation. The counselee has to have a will to get healed as well as have the dedication to get rid of the addiction or habit through the help and strength of our beloved Father. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-43).