The Impact of Negative Emotions on Binge Eating and BMI Among Medical Students

Background Binge eating disorder (BED) is a condition characterized by episodes of consuming large amounts of food and feeling a lack of control over eating behavior. Stress, anxiety, and depression are risk factors for developing BED, which may be particularly relevant for medical students who experience high levels of academic pressure and stress. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of binge eating behaviors among medical students, as well as the types of negative emotions that are most strongly associated with binge eating. Methodology This cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling and included 332 medical students from Almaarefa University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All medical students of all academic levels were eligible to participate in this study. Students from other colleges such as pharmacy students or students from other universities were excluded from this study. The research questionnaire collected information about negative emotions, BMI, number of meals, consumption of fast food, overeating behavior, and relevant demographic data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data using SPSS Statistics version 26 (IBM Corp. Released 2019. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results The descriptive analysis showed that the majority of students reported consuming two meals per day and having snacks twice a day. Fast food consumption was reported by 58.1% of students. The study found that negative emotions such as stress, depression, and loneliness were significantly associated with binge eating behavior and had an impact on weight and BMI. The findings suggest the need for interventions to address negative emotions and promote healthy eating habits among medical students. Conclusion The study concludes that negative emotions such as stress, aggression, and boredom are significantly associated with binge eating behaviors among medical students. Depression, disappointment, and thoughts about difficult tasks were linked to detrimental effects on BMI and weight loss.