Most binge eaters are overweight or obese– One study found that nearly 70% of participants with binge eating disorder were obese and 20% were over weight.– Another study found that within binge eaters a relatively high number (approximately 40%) of individuals were considered either obese or severely obese.– Longitudinal studies have demonstrated a correlation between binge eating and significantly non-developmentally appropriate weight gain in adolescents and young adults.– Another study demonstrated a correlation between binge eating and both being obese and gaining weight over a 20-year span.– An additional study demonstrated that cessation of binge eating was associated with weight loss, while continued binge eating was associated with ongoing weight gain. Studies such as these strongly suggest a connection between uncompensated binge eating and weight gain and demonstrate that binge eating could ultimately contribute to obesity. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that normal weight individuals with binge eating disorder may be at risk for obesity. References:
- Grucza R, Przbeck TR, Cloninger CR. Prevalence and correlates of binge eating disorder in a community sample. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2007; 48(2), 124-131.
- Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG JR, Kessler RC. The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survery Replication. Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Feb 1; 61(3), 348-358.
- Tanofsky-Kraff M, Cohen ML, Yanovski SZ, et al. A prospective study of psychological predictors of body fat gain among children at high risk for adult obesity. Pediatrics. 2006 Apr; 117(4), 1203-1209.
- Hasler G, Pine DS, Gamma A, et al. The associations between psychopathology and being overweight: a 20-year prospective study. Psychological medicine. 2004 Aug; 34(6), 1047-1057.
- Devlin MJ, Goldfein JA, Petkova E, Liu L, Walsh BT. Cognitive behavioral therapy and fluoxetine for binge eating disorder: two-year follow-up. Obesity. 2007 July; 15(7), 1702-1709.
