ONSET OF BINGE-EATING AND DIETING IN OVERWEIGHT WOMEN - IMPLICATIONS FOR ETIOLOGY, ASSOCIATED FEATURES AND TREATMENT

This study investigated differences between overweight binge eating wo men who reported the onset of binge eating prior to or following the o nset of dieting (binged first [BF], or dieted first [DF]). Of overweig ht binge eating subjects enrolled in a treatment study, 38.7% indicate d binge eating first, and 48.1% dieting first. The mean age of onset o f binge eating differed significantly between the two groups (11.8 yea rs vs. 25.7 years). More of the BF group (82.5%) satisfied proposed bi nge eating disorder (BED) criteria than did the DF group (52.0%), alth ough short of significantly. The results suggest that: (a) the leading hypothesis concerning dieting as a cause of binge eating does not app ly to a substantial number of individuals who binge eat; (b) there may be an early pattern and a late pattern in the development of binge ea ting among overweight individuals; and (c) the early or binge first pa ttern may be more likely to result in BED. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science I nc.