Try not to think about food: An association between fasting, binge eating and food cravings.

Background: When individuals follow a diet or limit their food intake, they activate cognitive restraint, which is defined as a mental effort to restrict dietary behavior with the goal of losing weight. As an example, fasting has also been associated with the recruitment of cognitive restraint, but further research is needed to fully understand its underlying mechanisms.

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the duration of fasting and disordered eating, such as food cravings, binge eating, and potential changes in eating habits.