In the USA, one of every three dieters misses pizza more than any other food.
As predicted, dieters reported themselves to be significantly more preoccupied with thoughts of food and eating.
Thus, while the older dieters avoided the relational conflicts experienced by younger respondents, they did so at the cost of extra household duties.
For the former, they reinforced the company's rhetoric about weight loss as a simple matter of ' reasoned eating ' that lies fully under the dieter's control.
It is possible that these recruitment procedures biased the sample, producing a more highly motivated group than would be typical of the average dieter.
For example, the older dieters tended to discount the potential embarrassment of an unsuccessful weigh-in by emphasising the shared experience of disappointment.
Such exchanges served important functions for both the organisation and the individual dieters.
Although dieters were significantly impaired in mood and well-being, these variables were associated with tendencies to eat when emotional, and not with restrained eating.
