Scientists Link “Cheat Meals” to Eating Disorders



Males were more likely than females to quickly break their diets to eat calorie-dense meals, and this behavior was linked to binge eating, compulsive activity, and fasting.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, more than half of men, women, and transgender or gender non-conforming participants took part in at least one "cheat meal," which is the practice of departing from one's established dietary practices to consume "prohibited" calorie-dense meals only to later return to previous dietary practices.

All seven kinds of eating disorder behaviors in women were associated with cheating on meals within the previous 12 months. It was connected to a variety of male habits, such as fasting, compulsive activity, and binge eating. Finally, it was linked to overeating and binge-eating behaviors in transgender or gender non-conforming persons.

Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, is the study's principal author and claims that eating habits like cheat meals that are supposed to promote muscularity and leanness have not been properly investigated in research. "Given the prevalence of cheat meals, which is well-documented on social media, this is especially crucial. We needed to investigate any connections between eating disorder psychopathology and cheat meals.

Data from the 2021–2022 Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviours, which included about 2,700 adolescents and young adults, was evaluated by Ganson and his colleagues.

Additionally, their research revealed that men were more inclined to indulge in cheat meals than women.

"Men's muscle-building and fitness communities have designed and promoted cheat meals. Therefore, the males in this study might be purposefully utilizing cheat meals to stimulate muscle gain, claims Ganson. Similarly, cheat meals can be utilized by women to prevent or stop binge eating episodes or to satisfy cravings for items that are off-limits.

Even while all cheat meals contained high-calorie foods, men and women preferred different types of cheat meals. Men said they had more meals high in protein, but women said they consumed more dairy, salty, and sweet foods.

The prevalence of cheat meals among teenagers and young adults as well as the sanctioned character of these behaviors in fitness communities and on social media should be known to medical professionals, adds Ganson. Future studies should continue to explore these eating habits and their effects on the general public's health.

Characterizing cheat meals among a nationwide sample of Canadian teenagers and young adults. Kyle T. Ganson, Mitchell L. Cunningham, Eva Pila, Rachel F. Rodgers, Stuart B. Murray, and Jason M. Nagata.

 By UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 

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