Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice
Published on: January 10, 2025
Self-help treatments for disorders of recurrent binge eating: a systematic review
S C Stefano1, J Bacaltchuk, S L Blay
1Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. sergiostefano@psiquiatria.epm.br
Objective:
To evaluate self-help interventions for patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN), tested in randomized controlled trials, and compared with waiting list or any other type of control group.
Methods:
A systematic review including quality appraisal was conducted of randomized controlled trials, using self-help techniques in patients with BED and/or BN. Six databases were searched during the period between January 1994 and June 2004.
Results:
A total of 2686 articles were identified, 1701 abstracts were evaluated in detail and, nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this review. All studies indicated that patients treated with active interventions had a reduced number of binge eating episodes at end of treatment.
Conclusion:
The results support self-help interventions but shall be interpreted with caution. Because of the small number of studies using self-help techniques for BED and BN, further larger randomized, multi-center controlled studies that apply standardized inclusion criteria, evaluation instruments and self-help materials, are needed.
Related Concept Videos
Binge Eating Disorders
Bulimia Nervosa
Behavior Therapy
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Self-Regulation
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
