Annesi JJ, et al. - The findings supported the role of physical activity in mood change, as well as the benefits of addressing self-regulation skills development within behavioral obesity treatments to reduce emotional eating.

• A treatment focusing on physical activity and self-regulation (n = 57) resulted in greater improvements in mood, emotional eating, physical activity- and eating-related self-regulation, and physical activity than a treatment focusing on providing information on healthy eating (n = 57).

• A 3-month decrease in negative mood predicted a 6-month decrease in emotional eating, and vice versa (ie, a reciprocal relationship).

• Changes in physical activity-related self-regulation, followed by changes in eating-related self-regulation, were found to be significant mediators in models.

• Paths through the self-regulation changes, on the other hand, were meaningful only in the model where changes in mood predicted changes in emotional eating.