Longitudinal predictors of binge eating, intense dieting, and weight concerns in a national sample of women

As part of an ongoing longitudinal study of the antecedents and consequence s of women's drinking in the U.S. adult female population, women who partic ipated in a 1991 survey provided data in 1996 about their experiences of bi nge eating, intense dieting, and weight concerns (N = 709, ages 26 to 54 in 1996). Five percent of the women reported binge eating in the past 30 days , 29% reported that they had engaged in intense dieting or fasting in the p ast 3 months, and 1.5% of the women met criteria for nonpurging bulimia ner vosa (binge eating and intense dieting). Forty-three percent reported that their weight and shape were either very important or more important than an ything else. After controlling for 1991 occurrence of binge eating, predict ors of binge eating in 1996 were past 12-month use of illicit drugs (mostly marijuana) and greater occurrence of drinking to intoxication. A body mass index (BMI) x 1991 binge eating interaction indicated that having a higher BMI in 1991 predicted the onset of binge eating by 1996, but it did not pr edict the continuation (chronicity) of binge eating 5 years later. Year 199 1 predictors of intense dieting in 1996 were having weight concerns, being unmarried, having used illicit drugs in the past 12 months, and having pare nts who had more than a high school education. Only a younger age in 1991 a nd having a lower BMI predicted 1996 weight concerns, after controlling for weight concerns 5 years earlier. These results indicate that risk factors for the onset and chronicity of disordered eating behaviors and attitudes a cross longer time periods in adult women may differ considerably from predi ctors found in cross-sectional studies or studies of adolescent females.