Impact of Cognitive Dietary Restraint on Perceived Stress, Appetite Sensations, Food Cravings During Energy Restriction

The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of a reduced-calorie low energy density diet with and without increased cognitive dietary restraint (CDR) on stress (biological markers and perceived stress), eating behaviours, appetite sensations, anthropometric variables and women's attitude toward their children's eating behaviours in premenopausal overweight/obese women in both the short term (immediately after the end of the 4-week intervention) and longer term (3 months after the end of the intervention). The investigators hypothesize that cortisol concentrations are higher, appetite sensations are increased (i.e. increased global appetite score) and food cravings are more prevalent in women of the energy-restriction-plus-CDR group than in women of the energy-restriction-without-CDR group after the 4-week intervention. They also hypothesize that perceived stress is higher and food cravings are more prevalent in women of the energy-restriction-plus-CDR group than in women of the energy-restriction-without-CDR group at 3-month post intervention. They hypothesize that no significant difference in body weight changes is observed between the two groups and that maternal restriction of their child's eating is higher in the energy-restriction-plus-CDR group than in the energy-restriction-without-CDR group both after the 4-week intervention and at the 3-month follow-up.