Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology

One of the three behavioral systems proposed by Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory.  It determines how sensitive a person is to rewards, differentiating between people who are very keen to act,…

One of the three behavioral systems proposed by Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. Individuals with pronounced BIS are prone to experiencing anxiety. They will tend to intensely worry and ruminate (extensively…

A behavioral intervention is a structured, theory-informed strategy that uses techniques like goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback to change health-related behavior — in nutritional psychology, the primary method for shifting eating patterns, diet quality, and diet-related mental health outcomes.

Behavioral mechanisms refer to the processes and actions that govern an individual's behavior. These mechanisms encompass how people respond to stimuli in their environment, make decisions, and engage in various…

Behaviorism is a school of thought in psychology defined by the belief that behavior of organisms can be described in terms of stimuli and reactions to them (without considering cognition…

An enzyme produced by certain gut microbes that deconjugates glucuronidated compounds, including estrogen, allowing them to be reabsorbed into circulation. gmGUS activity plays a key role in regulating estrogen levels…

A relationship that goes both ways, with each variable of interest affecting the other.

A bidirectional relationship is a two-way connection in which each side influences the other. In nutritional psychology, it describes how what we eat shapes how we think and feel, while how we think and feel shapes what we eat.

Binge eating involves consuming an unusually large amount of food within a discrete period while experiencing a sense of loss of control. It may occur with distress, guilt, or shame and can appear in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

Binge eating disorder is a psychiatric eating disorder involving recurrent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food with a sense of lost control, without regular compensatory behaviors. It is associated with psychological distress and medical and psychiatric comorbidities.