THE EATING INVENTORY IN OBESE WOMEN - CLINICAL CORRELATES AND RELATIONSHIP TO WEIGHT-LOSS

OBJECTIVES: Describe the physical and psychological correlates of the Eating Inventory (EI) (also known as the Three-Factor Eating Questionn aire) factors in an obese sample, and determine the relationship betwe en the three EI factors and weight loss. DESIGN: Consecutive series of obese women enrolled between 1987 and 1996 in clinical trials of weig ht loss treatments. PARTICIPANTS: 223 obese women with a weight of 100 .7 +/- 15.5 kg, an age of 41.4 +/- 8.8 y and a body mass index (BMI) o f 37.2 +/- 5.6 kg/m(2). MEASURES: The EI and a variety of physical (we ight, body composition and resting energy expenditure) and psychologic al (mood and binge eating) measures were assessed before and after 5-6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Before treatment, higher restraint scor es were associated with lower body weights (P = 0.02), while higher di sinhibition scores were associated with greater binge eating severity (P < 0.0001). Weight loss treatment was associated with significant in creases in restraint and decreases in disinhibition and hunger (all Ps < 0.0001). Greater increases in restraint during treatment were assoc iated with larger weight losses (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The three f actors of the EI showed clinical utility in a sample of women receivin g treatment for obesity.