OBESE WOMEN WITH BINGE-EATING DISORDER DEFINE THE TERM BINGE

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide information regard ing the criteria used by women with binge eating disorder (BED) to cla ssify an ea ting episode a binge. Method: Sixty women who met DSM-IV r esearch criteria for BED were interviewed and asked to define binge ea ting in their own words. Two independent raters classified subjects' r esponses according to a structured classification scheme. Results: Los s of control over eating was the only criterion used to define binge e ating by a majority (82 %) of our subjects. Large amount of food and e ating to relieve negative affect were reported less frequently, but ap peared to be important criteria. Discussion: The findings from this st udy are important to consider in an evaluation of the proposed DSM-IV research criteria for BED. (C) 1998 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.