{
  "id": 14002982,
  "title": "What is normal eating behavior? Age, sex and weight all play a role",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/what-is-normal-eating-behavior-age-sex-and-weight-all-play-a-role",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-12T16:40:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-behavior-age-sex-weight-play.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study examining eating behaviors among nearly 9,000 Finns reveals that habits such as uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and cognitive restraint vary based on age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). These findings indicate there is no single threshold to define abnormal eating behavior universally. Uncontrolled and emotional eating are more prevalent in younger adults, while cognitive restraint is more common in older adults. Additionally, women tend to exhibit higher levels of both cognitive restraint and emotional eating compared to men. As BMI increases, uncontrolled and emotional eating become more common. The relationship between cognitive restraint and body weight is complex; restraint tends to increase with BMI but slightly decreases among the most severely obese women. This research establishes age- and sex-specific reference values for the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18) for the Finnish population, providing a crucial tool for health professionals to gauge whether an individual's eating habits deviate significantly from their peers. However, these reference values are not meant to directly determine the need for treatment. Instead, they serve as a baseline for understanding individual eating behaviors in the context of age and sex. Further research is needed to explore the interplay between different aspects of eating behavior, how they change with age, and what specific changes should be targeted in obesity treatment. The study utilized data from three population-based cohorts in northern Finland, with participants aged approximately 33–35, 45–46, and 68–70 years.",
  "summary": "A study based on data from nearly 9,000 people in northern Finland shows that eating behavior varies with age and differs between sexes and BMI categories. The findings suggest that there is no single threshold that can be used to define abnormal eating behavior for everyone.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}