Binge eating in obesity

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of dieting and of body shape dissatisfaction on binge eating. DESIGN: Longitudinal study following billiopancreatic diversion (BPD), when the body shape has become normal or nearly normal, and any worries over weight, dieting and food have probably been abandoned completely. SUBJECTS: 65 severely obese patients, evaluated by clinical semistructured interview for occurrence of binge eating episodes prior to, and at one and at two years following BPD. RESULTS: Whereas preoperative binge eating had been reported by 65% of the obese individuals, at two years following BPD binge eating occurred only in 9.2% of them. CONCLUSIONS: Weight stabilisation following BPD is associated with a sharp improvement in control over food intake, and this suggests the central role of dieting and/or of body dissatisfaction in causing binge eating episodes