An observational study of food-related emotional expectancies, diet quality and comfort eating in the UK adult population

Abstract According to expectancy theory, people eat food that they expect will bring positive emotions. The present research aimed to identify food and non-alcoholic beverages UK adults most expected to bring positive emotions; test influences of high fat, salt and/or sugar (HFSS) and branding on expectancies; and investigate associations of expectancies with diet quality and comfort eating (i.e. eating induced by negative emotions). A representative sample of UK adults (n 1203; M age = 47 years; 52 % women; 87 % white) viewed food and non-alcoholic beverage images and completed the Anticipated Effects of Food Scale-Brief, a food frequency questionnaire, and questions about comfort eating and sociodemographic background. We ranked means of positive expectancies, conducted multilevel modelling to test influences of HFSS and branding on expectancies and examined correlations among expectancies, diet quality and comfort eating. Participants more strongly expected eating branded HFSS (e.g. Cadbury Twirl chocolate) v. generic non-HFSS (e.g. prawn curry) would result in positive emotions [b = 0·10, se = 0·04, p = ·02, 95 % CI (0·02, 0·18)]. Greater positive expectancies for HFSS – branded and generic – were associated with worse diet quality, especially positive expectancies for ice cream sundaes, fizzy drinks and chocolate (rs = –0·14 to −0·19, ps < ·001). Greater positive expectancies for HFSS and negative expectancies for HFSS and non-HFSS were associated with more frequent comfort eating (rs = 0·08 to 0·30, ps < ·05). Targeting positive HFSS expectancies through food environment policy and behavioural programmes may be a promising strategy for improving diet quality and reducing comfort eating in the UK adult population. Adults who comfort eat may also benefit from challenging negative expectancies for all foods.