Examining binge-eating disorder and food addiction in adults with overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To compare four subgroups of adults with overweight/obesity: those with binge-eating disorder (BED) only, food addiction (FA) only, both BED + FA, and neither.

METHODS

For this study, 502 individuals with overweight/obesity (body mass index >25 kg/m(2) ) completed a Web-based survey with established measures of eating and health-related behaviors. Most were female (n = 415; 83.2%) and White (n = 404; 80.8%); mean age and body mass index were 38.0 (SD = 13.1) years and 33.6 (SD = 6.9) kg/m(2) , respectively.

RESULTS

Among 502 participants with overweight/obesity, 43 (8.5%) met BED criteria, 84 (16.6%) met FA criteria, 51 (10.1%) met both BED + FA criteria, and 328 (64.8%) met neither (control). The three groups with eating pathology (BED, FA, and BED + FA) had significantly greater disturbances on most measures (eating disorder psychopathology, impulsivity, and self-control) than the control group, while the FA and BED + FA groups reported significantly higher depression scores relative to the control group. The three eating groups did not differ significantly from each other.

CONCLUSIONS

In this online survey, of those with overweight/obesity, nearly one third met criteria for BED, FA, or BED + FA, and these forms of disordered eating were associated with greater pathology relative to individuals with overweight/obesity without BED and FA. Future research should examine whether the presence of BED, FA, or co-occurring BED + FA requires tailored interventions in individuals with overweight or obesity.