4.1. Interpretation of Findings
eating behaviour [Small changes, weight loss
SECONDARY
There are many different terms used by the public and health promotion community to define foods and beverages that individuals should have occasionally, including EDNP foods, junk food, discretionary foods, and ultra-processed foods [There were several factors reported that increased the consumption of indulgences, including emotional eating, the influence of others, the availability of foods and beverages, and habitual eating behaviour. Our findings support the neurobehavioural model of temptations, such that if individuals are exposed to cues and are in a “hot state”, they are unlikely to be able to resist indulgences [Participants often reported that eating indulgences was habitual and that it was quite hard to break the cycle of consumption. Potential strategies included the avoidance of places where indulgences were more likely to be available and/or restricting availability in the home. These strategies are similar to those found in a previous qualitative study of participants with healthy weights [It was evident in participants’ responses that the “Say No” intervention worked primarily by promoting self-regulation. All participants reported that recording what they were consuming helped them reflect on their intake and adjust their behaviour. Self-monitoring is arguably one of the most effective techniques for changing behaviour and some participants reported that they would continue to write down what they were consuming after the intervention ended [Participants reported five additional strategies to help reduce indulgences: avoidance, accessibility, portion control, substitution, and weighing up the pros and cons. These have all been reported previously as helpful methods to change overall eating behaviour [Small changes reported by participants included reducing portion sizes. In a secondary analysis of an RCT that aimed to reduce problem foods, women who reported more frequently limiting portions of problem foods had greater weight loss at 12 months [