The Impact of Fear of Missing out (FoMO) on Addictive Eating: A Moderated Mediation Model.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Fear of missing out (FoMO) describes the concern of missing out on a rewarding experience, a contemporary psychological phenomenon that has yet to be explored in relation to addictive eating. This exploratory study examined the relationship between FoMO and addictive eating, and the effect of reward-related eating and mental health status (anxiety, depression, and stress) on the relationship.

METHODS

A sample of 227 adults (mean age 49.4 years; 79.3% women) completed an online survey to assess addictive eating (Yale Food Addiction Scale), FoMO (Fear of Missing Out Scale), reward-related eating (Reward-Based Eating Drive Scale), anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (GAD-7, PHQ-8, PSS-4). Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were performed to determine relationships between variables.

RESULTS

A direct relationship between FoMO and addictive eating was found. The relationship was partially mediated by reward-related eating after accounting for BMI and gender. Anxiety severity was a significant moderator of the relationship between reward-related eating levels and addictive eating symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights that can assist in informing interventions to mitigate the negative effects of FoMO on eating behaviours, particularly among populations vulnerable to anxiety.