Distraction, not hunger, is associated with lower mood and lower perceived work performance on fast compared to non-fast days during intermittent fasting. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Appleton, Katherine M; Baker, Stephanie
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 20:Number 6(2015:Jun.)
• Page Start: 702
• Page End: 711
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: cognitive processing -- diet -- eating behaviour -- mood -- weight loss; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105315573430
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

Using a repeated measures design, 16 females recorded hunger, distraction, mood and perceived work performance on two consecutive fast days, on two earlier and on two subsequent consecutive non-fast days, during intermittent fasting. Using regression analyses, low positive mood was associated with higher distraction ( β = −0.38, p < 0.01), and lower perceived work performance was associated with higher distraction ( β = −0.50, p < 0.01) and lower positive mood ( β = 0.59, p = 0.01). No associations were found with hunger (largest β = −0.11, p = 0.15). Associations between mood, perceived work performance and distraction but not hunger mirror those found in traditional dieting and suggest no benefit for attention from intermittent fasting-type regimes.