Binge and Emotional Eating in obese subjects seeking weight loss treatment

Abstract

Objective:

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is highly prevalent among individuals seeking weight loss treatment. Considering the possible trigger factors for BED, different studies focused on the role of emotional eating. The present study compared threshold, subthreshold BED, and subjects without BED in a population of overweight/obese individuals seeking weight loss treatment, considering the anamnesis, the eating disorder specific and general psychopathology, the organic and psychiatric comorbidity, the emotional eating as a trigger factor for binge eating, and the quality of life. Design: cross-sectional survey.

Subjects:

Four hundred thirty eight overweight subjects seeking weight loss treatment have been enrolled in the study. Measurements: Subjects have been evaluated by means of a clinical interview (SCID I) and different self-reported questionnaires (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Binge Eating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberg's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist 90, Emotional Eating Scale, and Obesity Related Well-Being questionnaire).

Results:

One hundred and five subjects (24% of the sample) fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria of lifetime BED, 146 (33.3%) fulfilled the criteria of lifetime subthreshold BED, and 187 (42.7%) subjects were diagnosed overweight non-BED. No correlations between the binges frequencies and the overweight levels were found. All the three groups showed high psychiatric comorbidities, and the three groups significantly differed in terms of emotional eating, which was positively correlated to the binge eating frequencies.

Conclusions:

Threshold and subthreshold BED deserve a careful psychopathological investigation and emotional eating seems to play a key role as trigger factor for binge eating. Obesity is associated with a high psychiatric comorbidity and a low quality of life, independently from the specific and general eating disorder psychopathology.