Objective: Binge eating, defined as the consumption of large amounts of food during which a sense of loss of control (LOC) is experienced, is associated with negative affect. However, there are no data on the experience of LOC after accounting for the effects of negative affect and caloric intake.
Method: Nine adult patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and 13 obese nonbinge eating disorder (NBED) participants carried a palmtop computer for 7 days, rating momentary mood and sense of LOC multiple times each day. Electronic food logs were collected once daily.
Results: After removing the effects of caloric intake and negative affect, a significant group difference was observed for ratings of LOC between BED and NBED participants.
Discussion: These findings suggest the experience of LOC in adults with BED is a salient feature of binge episodes, beyond that explained by caloric intake and momentary affect.
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.