ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Eating Behavior
Trait disinhibition mediates the associations of depressive symptoms and BMI in a non-clinical cohort of lean and individuals with obesity
Imke Schamarek 1
Anna Bautz 1
Michael Stumvoll 1
Matthias Blüher 1
Peter Kovacs 1
Anke Tönjes 1
Kerstin Rohde 2
1. Medical Department III- Division of Endocrinology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
2. Helmholtz-Institut fur Metabolismus- Adipositas- und Gefassforschung, Leipzig, Germany
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Abstract
Background: Depressive symptoms affect eating behavior and body mass index (BMI). We investigate their interrelation in a cohort without depressive or eating disorder and explore whether trait eating behavior mediates the link of depressive symptoms with BMI. Methods: Seventy-seven participants (62.3% females, 20-69 years) of the Obese Taste Bud study, with varying weight status and without depressive or eating disorder, completed the General Depression Scale, Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and Food Craving Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis tested the association of depressive symptoms with trait eating behavior and BMI. Mediation was assessed with Haye´s PROCESS macro in SPSS. Results: Higher depressive symptoms scores predict greater trait disinhibition (b = 0.228, p = 0.044), emotional eating (b = 0.307, p = 0.009) and food craving (b = 0.309, p = 0.009) but not trait hunger, restraint eating or cognitive restraint (p < 0.05). Furthermore, higher depressive symptoms scores predict higher BMI (b = 0.399, p < 0.001). Greater trait disinhibition (b = 0.377, p < 0.001) and food craving (b = 0.335, p = 0.002) predict a higher BMI. Trait disinhibition partially mediates the depressive symptoms-BMI link (indirect effect: B = 0.0948 (SE = 0.0575), 95% CI [0.0022, 0.2250]). Conclusion: In non-clinical cohorts, depressive symptoms in a spectrum that does not meet the criteria for depressive disease meaningfully influence stable patterns of unfavorable eating behaviors and weight. Trait disinhibition was identified as a mediator linking depressive symptoms and BMI, highlighting a potential behavioral mechanism through which depressive symptoms contribute to obesity.
Summary
Keywords
depressive symptoms, disinhibition, Mediation, Obesity, trait eating behavior
Received
14 September 2025
Accepted
16 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Schamarek, Bautz, Stumvoll, Blüher, Kovacs, Tönjes and Rohde. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Imke Schamarek; Kerstin Rohde
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