Perceptions of a large amount of food based on binge-eating disorder diagnosis

This study examined what adults with binge-eating disorder (BED) and obesity perceived as the threshold for a large amount of food and how their evaluations compared to ratings by participants with obesity but without BED.

This was a cross-sectional study of 150 participants with obesity. BED was assessed using the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns and confirmed via interview. Participants completed the Eating Patterns Questionnaire and Eating Inventory.

Participants with BED had significantly higher thresholds for a large amount of food relative to those without BED. Compared to participants without BED, those with BED had significantly higher thresholds on 13 of the 22 food items. In the overall sample, being male and having higher hunger scores were associated with greater thresholds.

Individuals with obesity and BED had larger portion standards than participants without BED. Individuals with BED may benefit from interventions targeted toward decreasing perceptions of portion sizes.