A few clicks away: Emotional eating, but not external and restrained eating, predicts online food delivery use

Online Food Delivery (OFD) services have grown rapidly in popularity, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. While these platforms offer substantial convenience, their association with the increased consumption of energy-dense foods has raised public health concerns. To date, research on OFD use has focused on sociodemographic or lifestyle factors, with relatively little attention given to psychological determinants. The present study addressed this gap by examining whether individual differences in eating styles - emotional, external, and restrained eating - predict OFD use beyond basic sociodemographic variables, and whether these effects interact with body mass index (BMI). Eighty-one adult participants completed an online survey assessing OFD use patterns and eating styles using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analyses tested the incremental predictive value of sociodemographics, eating styles, and eating style × BMI interactions in predicting OFD use. Results indicated that people who identified as female and individuals with higher BMI reported more frequent use of OFD. Notably, emotional eating emerged as a significant positive predictor of OFD use, even after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and other eating styles. External and restrained eating was unrelated to OFD behavior. Eating styles did not interact with BMI in predicting OFD use. These findings highlight emotional eating as a key psychological driver of OFD use, suggesting that emotional eaters may rely on such platforms as a coping mechanism for emotional distress. Future research should consider the role of state-level variables and explore potential associations between different eating styles and categories of food ordered.