Night eating in obese treatment-seeking Hispanic patients with and without binge eating disorder

To examine the frequency of night eating (NE) and its relation to binge eating disorder (BED), eating-disorder psychopathology, depression, and metabolic variables in treatment-seeking obese Hispanic men and women.

A consecutive series of 79 obese monolingual Spanish-speaking-only Hispanic patients with BED (N = 40) and without BED (N = 39) were reliably assessed by bilingual research-clinicians using Spanish-language versions of semistructured interviews and measures.

Overall, 38% (N = 30) of the 79 patients reported regular NE (≥4 days/month). NE and BED were significantly associated; 70% (21/30) of NE versus 18% (9/49) of non-NE had BED. Patients with NE reported greater frequency of binge-eating and higher levels of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression than non-NE patients; group differences in eating disorder psychopathology and depression levels persisted after controlling for BED status. The NE and non-NE groups did not differ significantly in BMI or metabolic variables.

In obese treatment-seeking Hispanic patients, NE and BED were significantly associated and NE was associated with heightened eating-disorder psychopathology and depression even after controlling for BED status.