WEIGHT AND SHAPE OVERCONCERN AND EMOTIONAL EATING IN BINGE-EATING DISORDER

Objective: This study investigated two issues: the level of weight and shape concerns, and the self-reported tendency to eat in response to negative emotions among obese individuals with binge eating disorder ( BED), eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), and no eating d isorder (CONTROL). Method: On the basis of demographic and diagnostic surveys, 156 participants in a weight loss program were categorized on two dimensions, eating disorder category and weight (BED vs. EDNOS vs . CONTROL/low vs. high body mass index), yielding a 2 x 3 experimental design. Results: Individuals with BED reported a greater tendency to eat in response to negative mood states than CONTROL subjects and low weight EDNOS subjects, but not high weight EDNOS subjects. Weight did not influence self-reported weight and shape concerns. Individuals wit h BED expressed greater concern for weight and shape than non-eating d isordered CONTROLs. Discussion: The findings suggest that overconcern with weight and shape be further investigated as a diagnostic feature of BED and that emotional eating is associated with BED but not obesit y per se. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.