Blood group and Rh factor on emotional eating behaviour and depression: Insights into obesity management

Emotional eating is a crucial factor cause of obesity. Although the factors affecting emotional eating in obesity are diverse, they are still not fully clarified. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether blood group and Rh factor changes influence emotional eating in obesity among control and obesity groups. The baseline characteristics, emotional eating (EEQ) scores, and body composition differences were investigated in a sample of female outpatients (n = 151) aged 18–65 years old attending the clinic. The Control group (n = 47) was formed from non-obese individuals. Bodyweight, body mass index (BMI), fat percentage (%), fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM) were determined using a bioimpedance device (Tanita-BC418). Body height was measured on a flat surface without shoes. Participants completed the emotional eating questionnaire (EEQ) scores and Beck depression scale after body analysis. Blood group information was determined by the gel column method using agglutination techniques. The study findings demonstrated significant differences in EEQ scores between Rh-positive and Rh-negative individuals. Rh-positive individuals had higher EEQ scores compared to Rh-negative individuals. We observed a positive correlation between BMI and depression scores and emotional eating in the obese group with blood type ‘A. In the obese group, positive correlations were found between EEQ scores and BMI and between EEQ scores and Beck depression scores in individuals with blood types A and O, respectively. These findings provide insights into the demographic and anthropometric characteristics, emotional eating patterns, and body composition differences among individuals with different blood types, particularly concerning obesity. These results contribute to understanding how blood types may interact with psychological and physiological factors in the context of obesity.