Prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a nonclinical sample of women enrolled in a weight gain prevention program

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were to examine the prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a nonclinical sample of women and to examine whether associations differed by overweight status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparison of women based on self-reported binge eating status (large amount of food eaten and feelings of lack of control during these eating episodes) and overweight status (measured body weight: overweight de®ned as body mass index (BMI) ! 27.3 kgam 2 ). PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were 817 women aged 20 ± 45 y from the community who enrolled in a three year prospective intervention study to examine methods for preventing age-related weight gain. MEASURES: Body weight was measured at baseline and three-year follow-up. Self-report measures of binge eating, dieting practices, eating and exercise behaviours, depression, self-esteem and stressful life events were collected at the three-year follow-up. RESULTS: The prevalence of binge eating in the past six months was 9% among normal weight women and 21% among overweight women. The frequency of binge eating was low ( b 50% of binge eaters binged less than once per week) and did not signi®cantly differ by body weight status. Compared to non-binge eaters, binge eaters reported more dieting practices, more extreme attitudes about weight and shape, and higher levels of depression and stressful life events. Binge eating was not related to habitual eating and exercise behaviours. In multivariate models, weightashape importance (odds ratio (OR) 3.33; 95% con®dence intervals (95% CI) 2.10, 5.29), depression (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.07, 2.79) and history of intentional weight loss episodes (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.03, 1.13) were independently associated with increased odds of binge eating. CONCLUSIONS: Binge eating is about twice as prevalent among overweight women, compared to normal weight women, in a nonclinical sample, but has similar correlates (that is, dieting, depression, weightashape preoccupation). Prospective research is needed to determine whether there are causal associations between binge eating, depression, dieting and weight gain.

Binge‐Eating Disorder in Brazilian Women on a Weight‐Loss Program

“…As in other studies with both clinical and nonclinical samples of obese individuals (42)(43)(44), overweight Brazilian women with BED were also found to give greater importance to body shape and weight for self-evaluation than overweight women not reporting binge eating. This consistent finding across different populations may suggest that excessive concerns about body shape and weight, which are characteristic of anorexia nervosa and BN, also represent one of the core features of BED (45).…”

The relationship between restraint and weight and weight-related behaviors among individuals in a community weight gain prevention trial

“…In the present study, only 1.6% of the sample met DSM-IV criteria for BED. 26 It is unlikely that a large proportion of POP participants solely used rigid behavioral strategies to control their weight. Instead, it is likely that these individuals used a combination of strategies that are better re¯ected by the EI's total restraint scale rather than either the¯exible or rigid restraint subscales.…”

“…28 This large, community-based weight gain prevention intervention found that, contrary to clinical samples, 12,13 rigid restraint was inversely related to weight and weightrelated behaviors. This study suggests that in a sample with very low rates of binge eating and other extreme eating behaviors, 26 the EI's total restraint score is as good a re¯ec-tion of weight and behaviors as the¯exible and rigid restraint subscales. The present study also showed that initial levels of restraint predicted changes in self-weighing, suggesting that initial restraint may be a marker of motivation for treatment adherence.…”

Evaluation of a modified cognitive–behavioural programme for weight management

“…The mean TFEQ restraint score in a sample of obese participants in a weight gain prevention was around 8. 56 Body satisfaction: the Body Satisfaction Scale (BSS) was developed by the investigators for this study to assess degree of satisfaction with different parts of the body. Respondents rate their current satisfaction with their waist, bust, hips, thighs, calves, ankles, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, face and whole body on a six-point scale ranging from extremely satis®ed' to`extremely dissatis®ed'.…”