Establishing thresholds for unusually large binge eating episodes

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Defining binge eating for eating disorders like bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder requires objective criteria.
• Previous definitions of binge eating may not adequately account for individual differences in perception of food quantities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine group differences in the perception of food quantities considered

Main Methods:

• Participants included undergraduate students, community members, and individuals in an eating disorder (ED) study.
• Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data on perceived food amounts and related factors.

Main Results:

• Males reported higher thresholds for unusually large food amounts than females.
• Overweight participants in student and ED samples, but not community samples, reported higher thresholds.
• Binge eating and fear of weight gain were associated with higher thresholds for food amounts.

Conclusions:

• Gender, social context, BMI, and eating disorder status significantly influence perceptions of unusually large food quantities.
• Future diagnostic criteria for binge eating should incorporate these identified individual difference factors.
• Empirically derived definitions of binge eating can be improved by considering these variables.