Grazing is a human eating pattern characterized as "the repetitive eating of small or modest amounts of food in an unplanned manner throughout a period of time, and not in response to hunger or satiety cues".[1]
Two subtypes of grazing have been suggested: compulsive and non-compulsive. Compulsive grazing is accompanied by the feeling that the person is not able to resist going back to repetitively snack on the desired food. Non‐compulsive grazing is repetitively eating in a distracted and mindless way, without paying much attention to what is eaten.[1][2]
The term "grazing" has been widely used by the general population in reference to a repetitive eating pattern. The scientific literature began to investigate this concept because of its extensive use and apparent association with weight gain.[3][4] Several terms such as picking, nibbling, and snacking have been used indiscriminately in the literature to characterize grazing-type patterns of repetitive eating in humans.[1][2][5] In 2014, Eva Conceição and colleagues proposed a consensual definition for grazing based on the opinion of various experts in the field.[1]
Grazing seems to be related to loss of control over eating and can be conceptualized on the spectrum of disordered eating behaviors.[2] It is considered as a risk behavior for adults undergoing weight loss treatment[1][2][5][6][7] due to its associations with Body Mass Index and a great variability on weight-loss trajectories after bariatric surgery.[8] It is thought to be present in up to 26.4% of bariatric patients pre‐operatively[9] and in 46.6% after bariatric surgery.[10] Specifically, compulsive grazing appears to be linked to eating disorder psychopathology.
The repetitive eating questionnaire (Rep(eat)-Q) is a 12-item self-report measure developed by Conceição, E. and colleagues to assess grazing eating patterns in adolescents and adults.[1][6][11]
The Rep(eat)-Q is based on the consensual definition proposed by the authors and generates two subscales: 1) repetitive eating, and 2) compulsive grazing.[6] Respondents rate the frequency of grazing eating behaviors in the previous month using a Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 6 (every day). Scores are calculated as the mean of the scale items and the total Rep(eat)-Q score can range from 0 to 6. The Rep(eat)-Q is worded in English,[1] Portuguese (European and Brazilian),[6] and Norwegian.[12]
