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Determinants of binge eating disorder among normal weight and overweight female college students in Korea

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical features of binge eating disorder (BED) in normal weight and overweight undergraduate Korean women.

Methods

117 overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and 346 normal weight (18 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2) undergraduate Korean women completed questionnaires to assess for BED. Their emotional eating behaviors, binge eating-related behaviors, a spectrum of compulsive behaviors such as substance abuse and obsessive–compulsive disorder, and psychological profiles were evaluated through personal interviews and questionnaires. The features of those with BED were compared to those without BED in the overweight and normal weight groups.

Results

Both normal weight and overweight BED women had higher levels of functional impairment, eating disorder psychopathology including emotional and external eating behaviors, and neuroticism than their non-BED counterparts. In the normal weight group, BED women had more frequent alcohol consumption and obsessive–compulsive symptoms than non-BED women. In the overweight group, BED women had higher levels of depression and lower extraversion than non-BED women.

Conclusions

BED is associated with global functional impairment and mental health problems. Thus, the association with high functional impairments and psychiatric comorbidities suggest that people with BED may benefit from treatment.

Level III

Evidence obtained from well-designed case–control analytic studies, from more than one center.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Han Choi for his contribution to data collection and Dr. Carol Kan for her insightful comments on the manuscript.

Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by a Research Fund (HD16A1351) from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The funding source had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University, 85 Jeo-dong 2 Ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-032, Republic of Korea

    Youl-Ri Kim

  2. Institute of Eating Disorders and Mental Health, Inje University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Youl-Ri Kim, Bo In Hwang & Gi Young Lee

  3. Department of Food and Nutrition, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Kyung Hee Kim

  4. Department of Psychology, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Mirihae Kim

  5. Graduate School of Public Health, Inje University, Pusan, Republic of Korea

    Kwang Kee Kim

  6. Section of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK

    Janet Treasure

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  1. Youl-Ri Kim
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  2. Bo In Hwang
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Correspondence to Youl-Ri Kim.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical measure.

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Informed consents were received from each of the participants.

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Kim, YR., Hwang, B.I., Lee, G.Y. et al. Determinants of binge eating disorder among normal weight and overweight female college students in Korea. Eat Weight Disord 23, 849–860 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0574-2

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