On the relation of dieting and bingeing in bulimia nervosa

The continuum model of bulimia nervosa suggests that dieting plays a major role in the etiology and maintenance of bulimia. However, a previous study (M. R. Lowe et al., 1996) recently found no relationship between dieting intensity and binge eating problems in nonclinical participants differing widely in eating and weight concerns. The present study extended these findings by examining the relationship between dieting and bingeing among individuals with bulimia. Three samples of individuals diagnosed with bulimia were divided into frequent and infrequent weight-loss dieters and were compared on multiple measures of binge eating. No diet-binge relationship was found in 1 sample, whereas in the other 2 samples frequent dieters binged less than infrequent dieters. These results raise new questions about the continuum model of bulimia and suggest that weight-loss dieting may not play as prominent a role in the maintenance of bulimia as it does in its initiation.