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"The 3 Factor Eating Questionnaire"

 

     Humans have a complicated relationship with food. In hunter gatherer times and throughout much of history, the main problem was availability and food was hard to find.  One of the curses of current life is the ready availability of food and methods of processing which make overeating more likely. In addition to the availability of food, there is no doubt that stress, lack of sleep and psychological factors play a major role in determining the amount and types of food we eat.  Three dimensions of human eating behavior identified are in the domains of “Uncontrolled Eating”, “Emotional Eating” and “Cognitive Restraint”.  The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) was developed in 1985 (Stunkard and Messick) to help us recognize some of the behaviors and psychological factors which affect our food intake.  Some behaviors would lead to overeating and some to more controlled eating.  Complete this revised 21 Item questionnaire (Tholin et al, Wilson) by picking the answer which best describes your behavior.  Then add up the score for each domain.  I believe that, for many individuals, without any psychological intervention, the Zone/Paleo approach or LowCarb/Nutritional Ketosis will help to manage all three of these behaviors by controlling hunger/emotions and teaching healthier/satisfying options which might enable more cognitive restraint.   Dr. Sears is fond of saying "How you feel and how you think at any moment depends more on what your last meal was like than anything else!"  So, if you are feeling good and emotionally you are not anxious/sad/depressed/lonely, maybe Uncontrolled and Emotional Eating will just go away.....and Cognitive Restraint will prevail!  Disclaimer: Each of us has a personal/mental/cultural relationship with food. The TFEQ in it's original form and it's revisions have not been used to diagnose eating disorders but have been studied by researchers (see references) to gain information about our eating behaviors and how it might relate to our energy intake and Body Mass Index (BMI).  It has simply helped identify some of the underlying specific situations/behaviors which might lead to overeating and behaviors of those who consciously restrict intake.

Uncontrolled Eating Domain (Hunger)

Cognitive Restraint Domain

Emotional Eating Domain (Disinhibition)

"3 Domains of Eating Questionaire.docx"     

1. Uncontrolled Eating Domain (hunger). This is a tendency to eat more than usual due to a loss of control over intake accompanied by subjective feelings of hunger.  There is also extreme sensitivity to external stimuli which may make you want to eat more.   People who score high in this domain tend to eat energy dense foods such as fat, sweets, alcohol and also salty food. They have a higher energy intake.  Men and Women are similar in this domain. There is no question that our Zone/Paleo approach controls hunger very well and cravings for sweets are easier to control. 

1. Sometimes when I start eating, I just can’t seem to stop.

       Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

2. Being with someone who is eating, often makes me want to also eat.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

3. I often get so hungry that my stomach feels like a bottomless pit.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

4. I’m always so hungry that it’s hard for me to stop eating before finishing all of the food on my plate.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

5. When I smell a sizzling steak or see a juicy piece of meat, I find it very difficult to keep from eating—even if I’ve just finished a meal.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

6. I’m always hungry enough to eat at any time.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

 7. When I see something that looks very delicious, I often get so hungry that I have to eat right away.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

8. Do you go on eating binges even though you’re not hungry?

      At least once a week(4), Sometimes(3), Rarely(2), Never(1),

9. How often do you feel hungry?

      Almost always(4), Often between meals(3), Sometimes between meals(2)  Only at mealtimes(1)

The maximum score for this Domain is 36.

Higher Scores, say between 27 and 36 may suggest that Uncontrolled Eating may be a factor in your energy

intake and weight. 

My Score is_______

2. Cognitive Restraint Domain.  This is conscious restriction of food intake in order to control body weight or to promote weight loss. People who score high on these questions have a lower energy intake.  Also they make better food choices.  Women score higher in this domain.  There is also less alcohol intake and they tend to choose “low fat” items. The protein intake is also higher. The higher protein intake in our Zone/Paleo approach is right in line with this eating behavior.

1. I deliberately take small helpings to control my weight.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

2. I don’t eat some foods because they make me fat.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

3. I consciously hold back on how much I eat at meals to keep from gaining weight.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

4. How often do you avoid “stocking up” on tempting foods?

      Almost always(4), Usually(3), Seldom(2), Almost never(1)

5. How likely are you to make an effort to eat less than you want?

      Very likely(4), Somewhat likely(3), A little likely(2) , Unlikely(1)

6. On a scale from 1 to 8, where 1 means no restraint in eating and 8 means total restraint, what number would you give yourself?

      Mark number that best applies to you: No restraint 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Total Restraint.

The maximum score for this Domain is 28. 

Higher scores, say between 19 and 28 may suggest that Cognitive Restraint may be a factor in your energy intake & weight and you have some control over your eating and food choices.   

My Score is_______

 3. Emotional Eating Domain.  This is a difficulty to resist emotional cues or disinhibition.  People who score high in this domain tend to snack more on fruit, cakes and pastries.  Women score higher in this domain.  There is also more alcohol intake.  Our Zone/Paleo approach teaches healthier more satisfying snacks with controls swings of blood sugar, emotions and cravings.

1. I start to eat when I feel anxious.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

2. When I feel sad, I often eat too much.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

3. When I feel tense or “wound up”, I often feel I need to eat.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

4. When I feel lonely, I console myself by eating.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

5. If I feel nervous, I try to calm down by eating.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

6. When I feel depressed, I want to eat.

      Definitely true(4), Mostly true(3), Mostly false(2), Definitely false(1)

The maximum score for this Domain is 24. 

Higher scores, say between 18 and 24 may suggest that Emotional Eating may be a factor in your energy intake and weight. 

My Score is_______

References:

Wikepedia – Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ)

The Original TFEQ 51 Item Questionnaire

Stunkard AJ, Messick S. The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1985;29(1):71-83.  Abstract only, may purchase full text.

Pearson Clinical Psychology Assessments:  'Eating Inventory'  Questionnaire available for purchase by Qualified Individuals. Stunkard & Messick

And then Revised/Studied by:

Karlsson J et al: Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) in obese men and women. Results from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study. In J Obestiy 2000, 24: 1715-1725. Free Full Text.  See Appendix: Item Content of Revised 18 Item Scales

Tholin S et al: Genetic and Environmental influences on eating behavior: the Swedish Young Male Twins Study. Am J Clin Nut. 2005 Mar; 81:564-569  Free Full Text. See Table 2 TFEQ Revised 21 Item.

Lauzon B et al: The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 Is Able to Distinguish among Different Eating Patterns in a General Population. J.Nutr. Sep 2004; 134:2372-2380. Free Full Text. See Appendix for Revised TFEQ -18 Item.

Cappelleri JC: Psychometric analysis of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21: results from a large diverse sample of obese and non-obese participants. Int J Obes (Lond). 2009 Jun;33(6):611-20. Free Full Text. See Appendix for Revised TFEQ - 21 Item.

Angle S et al: Three factor eating questionnaire-R18 as a measure of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in a sample of young Finnish females. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2009;6:41. Free Full Text. See Table 1 for Revised TFEQ - 18 Item.

Wilson C: Graduate Students, Negative Perfectionism, Perceived Stress, and Disordered Eating Behaviors. Phd Dissertation, Auburn University, 2009   Free Full Text.  See Appendix B for Revised TFEQ - 21 Item, Cites Tholin et al 2005.

Soos M et al: The Characteristics of Consumer Attitudes in the Food Market in Hungary University of Debrecen, Vol 8, 2014 43-49  Free Full Text.  See Table 1 for TFEQ -18 Item -Translated from Spanish Version of TFEQ

Jaurefui-Lobera I et al: Psychometric Properties of Spanish Version of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18(Tfeg-Sp) and Its Relationship with Some Eating- and Body Image-Related Variables. Nutrients 2014 6, 5619-5635 Free Full Text. See Table 1 for TFEQ-Sp, translated from Spanish Version.

University of Michigan TFEQ-R18. https://www.med.umich.edu/intmed/endocrinology/weightmanagement/pdf/TFEQ-r18.pdf

From Scribd.com. The Three Factor Eating Questionaire-Revised 18 Item Karlsson et al 2000

The University of Essex online: The Three-Factor Eating Questionaire.  Saves the Score but you can't see it.

Furman J: The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire is able to determine Different eating behaviors and Food Pattern in  Congregate Meal Participants.  Masters Thesis, University of Georgia 2012  See Appendix A Revised 18-Item.

Taboada D et al: Factor structure and psychometric properties of the TFEQ in morbid obese patients, candidates to bariatric surgery.  Psicothema 2015 27: 141-150 See Table 1 for English and Spanish versions of Original 51 Item TFEQ (Strunkard & Messick)

Swartz M et al: Psychometric Analysis of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18V2 in Adolescent and Young Adult-Aged Central Nervous System Tumor Survivors. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. September 2016, 5(3): 278-285.  Abstract Only. May purchase full text. Used Revised 18 Item TFEQ.

 



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