Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Associations of negative affect and eating behaviour in obese women with and without binge eating disorder

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study was planned to investigate differences in psychopathological features, eating behaviour and eating habits between obese women with and without BED. It also aimed to identify specific relationships between affective symptoms and eating behaviour in obese women with BED. Eighty-four obese women were studied (40 with BED, 44 non-BED). Psychiatric comorbidities were assessed with the structured diagnostic interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and anxiety with the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Eating habits (emotional and restrained eating) were assessed by the Dutch eating behaviour questionnaire (DEBQ). Food diaries were used for assessing naturalistic eating behaviour (food intake) and mood before and after food intake. BED subjects exhibited higher levels of comorbidity (in particular mood disorders, anxiety disorders and substance-related disorders), higher depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, external and emotional eating scores than non-BED subjects. Regression analyses revealed that anxiety and emotional eating were significant predictors for BED status. In the BED group, depressive symptoms were significantly related to emotional eating and food intake and negatively related to restraint. Anxiety was significantly related to emotional eating. In general, food intake significantly enhanced mood. Mood was worse on the days with self-reported binge eating episodes than on nonbinge days. These results are discussed with regard to aetiological models for BED and for BED being a distinct diagnostic category separate from obesity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Stunkard AJ. Eating patterns and obesity. Psychiatr Q 1959; 33: 284–95.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Spitzer RL, Yanovski S, Wadden T, et al. Binge eating disorder: its further validation in a multisite study. Int J Eat Disord 1993; 13: 137–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Specker S, de Zwaan M, Raymond N, et al. Psychopathology in subgroups of obese women with and without binge eating disorder. Compr Psychiatry 1994; 35: 185–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Telch CF, Stice E. Psychiatric comorbidity in women with binge eating disorder: prevalence rates from a non-treatment-seeking sample. J Consult Clin Psychol 1998; 66: 768–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Yanovski SZ, Nelson JE, Dubbert BK, et al. Association of binge eating disorder and psychiatric comorbidity in obese subjects. Am J Psychiatry 1993; 150: 1472–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG Jr, et al. The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 61: 348–58.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Grilo CM, White MA, Masheb RM. DSM-IV psychiatric disorder comorbidity and its correlates in binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 2009; 42: 228–34.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Javaras KN, Pope HG, Lalonde JK, et al. Co-occurrence of binge eating disorder with psychiatric and medical disorders. J Clin Psychiatry 2008; 69: 266–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wilfley DE, Friedman MA, Dounchis JZ, et al. Comorbid psychopathology in binge eating disorder: relation to eating disorder severity at baseline and following treatment. J Consult Clin Psychol 2000; 68: 641–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bulik CM, Sullivan PF, Kendler KS. Medical and psychiatric morbidity in obese women with and without binge eating. Int J Eat Disord 2002; 32: 72–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Howard CE, Porzelius LK. The role of dieting in binge eating disorder: etiology and treatment implications. Clin Psychol Rev 1999; 19: 25–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Grilo CM, Shiffman S. Longitudinal investigation of the abstinence violation effect in binge eaters. J Consult Clin Psychol 1994; 62: 611–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Yanovski SZ. Binge eating disorder: current knowledge and future directions. Obes Res 1993; 1: 306–24.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. de Zwaan M. Binge eating disorder and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001; 25 (Suppl 1): S51–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Marcus MD, Wing RR, Hopkins J. Obese binge eaters: affect, cognitions, and response to behavioural weight control. J Consult Clin Psychol 1988; 56: 433–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Masheb RM, Grilo CM. On the relation of attempting to lose weight, restraint, and binge eating in outpatients with binge eating disorder. Obes Res 2000; 8: 638–45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Pinaquy S, Chabrol H, Simon C, et al. Emotional eating, alexithymia, and binge-eating disorder in obese women. Obes Res 2003; 11: 195–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Wilson GT, Nonas CA, Rosenblum GD. Assessment of binge eating in obese patients. Int J Eat Disord 1993; 13: 25–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Yanovski SZ, Sebring NG. Recorded food intake of obese women with binge eating disorder before and after weight loss. Int J Eat Disord 1994; 15: 135–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kenardy J, Arnow B, Agras WS. The aversiveness of specific emotional states associated with binge-eating in obese subjects. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 1996; 30: 839–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Heatherton TF, Baumeister RF. Binge eating as escape from self-awareness. Psychol Bull 1991; 110: 86–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Polivy J, Heatherton TF, Herman CP. Self-esteem, restraint, and eating behavior. J Abnorm Psychol 1988; 97: 354–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Arnow B, Kenardy J, Agras WS. The Emotional Eating Scale: the development of a measure to assess coping with negative affect by eating. Int J Eat Disord 1995; 18: 79–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Laessle RG, Schulz S. Stress-induced laboratory eating behavior in obese women with binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 2009; 42: 505–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Wittchen HU, Wunderlich U, Gruschwitz S, et al. Strukturiertes Klinisches Interview für DSM-IV. 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Friederich HC, Schild S, Wild B, et al. Treatment outcome in people with subthreshold compared with fullsyndrome binge eating disorder. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2007; 15: 283–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Striegel-Moore RH, Dohm FA, Solomon EE, et al. Subthreshold binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 2000; 27: 270–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown GK. Manual für das Beck-Depressions-Inventar (2. Auflage). Frankfurt/M., Harcourt Test Services GmbH, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Laux L, Glanzmann P, Schaffner P, et al. Manual für das State-Trait-Angstinventar. Weinheim, Beltz Testgesellschaft, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Van Strien T, Frijters JE, Bergers GP, et al. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional and external eating behavior. Int J Eat Disord 1986; 5: 295–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Grunert S. Ein Inventar zur Erfassung von Selbstaussagen zum Ernährungsverhalten. Diagnostica 1989; 35: 275–82.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kirschbaum C, Pirke KM, Hellhammer DH. The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ — a tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology 1993; 28: 76–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Erhard J. EBISpro für Windows, Version 2009. Stuttgart, Universität Hohenheim, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Tanofsky MB, Wilfley DE, Spurrell EB, et al. Comparison of men and women with binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 1997; 21: 49–54.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Ricca V, Castellini G, Lo Sauro C, et al. Correlations between binge eating and emotional eating in a sample of overweight subjects. Appetite 2009; 53: 418–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Antony MM, Johnson WG, Carr-Nangle RE, et al. Psychopathology correlates of binge eating and binge eating disorder. Compr Psychiatry 1994; 35: 386–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Isnard P, Michel G, Frelut ML, et al. Binge eating and psychopathology in severely obese adolescents. Int J Eat Disord 2003; 34: 235–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Allison KC, Grilo CM, Masheb RM, et al. Binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome: a comparative study of disordered eating. J Consult Clin Psychol 2005; 73: 1107–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Fassino S, Leombruni P, Piero A, et al. Mood, eating attitudes, and anger in obese women with and without Binge Eating Disorder. J Psychosom Res 2003; 54: 559–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Gladis MM, Wadden TA, Vogt R, et al. Behavioral treatment of obese binge eaters: do they need different care? J Psychosom Res 1998; 44: 375–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Grilo CM, Crosby RD, Masheb RM, et al. Overvaluation of shape and weight in binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and sub-threshold bulimia nervosa. Behav Res Ther 2009; 47: 692–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Eldredge KL, Agras WS. Weight and shape overconcern and emotional eating in binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 1996; 19: 73–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. le Grange D, Gorin A, Catley D, et al. Does momentary assessment detect binge eating in overweight women that is denied at interview? Eur Eat Dis Rev 2001; 9: 309–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Engel SG, Kahler KA, Lystad CM, et al. Eating behavior in obese BED, obese non-BED, and non-obese control participants: a naturalistic study. Behav Res Ther 2009; 47: 897–900.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Herman CP, Mack D. Restrained and unrestrained eating. J Pers 1975; 43: 647–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, 54286, Trier, Germany

    S. Schulz & R. G. Laessle

Authors
  1. S. Schulz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. G. Laessle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. G. Laessle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schulz, S., Laessle, R.G. Associations of negative affect and eating behaviour in obese women with and without binge eating disorder. Eat Weight Disord 15, e287–e293 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325311

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325311

Key words

Search

Navigation