Early Maladaptive Schemas, Emotion Regulation, Stress, Social Support, and Lifestyle Factors as Predictors of Eating Behaviors and Diet Quality: Evidence from a Large Community Sample

Early maladaptive schemas and emotion regulation difficulties contribute to unhealthy dietary patterns and central adiposity, with stress and social support acting as contextual moderators. Integrating psychological assessment with validated dietary and lifestyle measures provides a comprehensive framework for obesity prevention and schema-informed interventions. From a lifespan perspective (18-65 years), these findings highlight the need for multidomain strategies targeting cognitive-emotional and behavioral mechanisms of weight regulation.