1. Empathy and eating habits

Adams, C. E., & Leary, M. R. (2007). Promoting self-compassionate attitudes toward eating among restrictive and guilty eaters. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(10), 1120–1144.

Contrary to intuition, research shows that self-compassion after a slip-up, rather than self-flagellation, helps to better control appetite and reduces the risk of emotional overeating.

2. Cognitive therapy and thinking errors

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. Guilford Press.

This is a fundamental work that defines cognitive distortions, such as black-and-white thinking and catastrophising, and explains how these patterns of thought influence our behaviour and emotions.

3. Psychological factors in weight regain

Byrne, S. M., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2004). Psychological predictors of weight regain in obesity. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42(11), 1341–1356.

A study showing that dichotomous or ‘all or nothing’ thinking is one of the main factors preventing long-term weight maintenance.

4. Stress, cortisol, and cravings for sweets

Epel, E., et al. (2001). Stress may add bite to appetite in women: a laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 26(1), 37–49.

Explains how stress-induced increases in cortisol levels cause the brain to seek comfort in high-calorie foods (so-called “comfort food” eating).

5. “What the Hell” effect

Herman, C. P., & Polivy, J. (1975). Anxiety, restraint, and eating behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84(6), 666–672.

A classic experiment that first identified the “What the Hell” effect — a phenomenon where dieters, after a minor “slip-up,” begin to eat without restraint because they believe they have failed.

Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (1985). Dieting and binging: A causal analysis. American Psychologist, 40(2), 193–201.

Extends the concept of the “What the Hell Effect” and shows how cognitive constraints contribute to binge eating episodes.

6. Strict vs. flexible dietary control

Linardon, J., & Mitchell, S. (2017). Rigid dietary control, flexible dietary control, and intuitive eating: Evidence for their differential relationship to disordered eating and body image concerns. Eating Behaviors, DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.01.008.

The study confirms that strict control promotes overeating, while a flexible approach (the 80/20 principle) is associated with a healthier relationship with food and better results.

Westenhoefer, J. (1991). Dietary restraint and disinhibition: Is restraint a homogeneous construct? Appetite, DOI: 10.1016/0195-6663(91)90110-e.

Introduces the distinction between strict and flexible dietary control and shows that flexible control is associated with better psychological and weight regulation.

7. Dichotomous thinking and eating disorders

Westenhoefer, J., et al. (1999). Validation of the flexible and rigid control dimensions of dietary restraint. International Journal of Eating Disorders, DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199907)26:1<53::aid-eat7>3.0.co;2-n

A study confirms the link between strict dietary rules and an increased tendency toward uncontrolled eating.