Is counterregulation of dieters after forced consumption of a preload dependent on mood?

The question of whether the counterregulation of dieters after forced consumption of a preload is dependent on mood was examined in a 2 (dieter vs non-dieter) × 2 (happy vs depressed) × 2 (preload vs no-preload) factorial design. Subjects were 83 Dutch housewives (mean age 42 years) who were classified as dieter or non-dieter by the median split score on the Restraint Scale of the Dutch Eating Behavious Questionnaire (DEBQ). A happy or a depressed mood was induced with the aid of music. Half of the subjects were forced to eat a preload. It was hypothesized that forced consumption of a preload will disinhibit the dieter when mood is depressed, but will elicit a normal regulatory reponse when the dieter is happy. It was found that happy dieters did indeed regulate their food consumption normally after a preload. However, depressed dieters also eat marginally less after a preload. Furthermore, the finding that non-dieters never regulated their food intake, neither when happy nor when depressed casts some doubts on the validity of the present findings. The curious results may be due to the relatively high age of the subject sample used. A replicaiton study using a younger subject sample is desirable before firm conclusions can be drawn as to the mood-dependence of counterregulation after a preload.