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Characterizing alcohol-related disordered eating behaviors in adults with binge eating

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Abstract

Purpose

Alcohol-related disordered eating behaviors (ADEBs; i.e., engagement in dietary restriction or excessive exercise before or after drinking alcohol to avoid weight gain) are associated with negative psychosocial and medical consequences. Previous research has primarily studied ADEBs among community samples. Individuals with clinically significant binge eating may also engage in ADEBs given high rates of alcohol use and inappropriate weight-control behaviors. The current study aimed to characterize the prevalence and psychological correlates (i.e., weight and shape concerns, alcohol consumption, binge eating frequency) of ADEBs among individuals with clinically significant binge eating.

Methods

Participants were 166 treatment-seeking individuals who engaged in once weekly binge eating over the past three months. Participants completed a clinical interview to assess eating disorder symptoms and self-report measures of alcohol consumption patterns and ADEBs engagement.

Results

Over one-fourth of participants endorsed at least one ADEBs in the past three months. Participants who endorsed ADEBs reported greater alcohol consumption than participants who drank alcohol but did not endorse ADEBs, after controlling for eating disorder diagnosis. Greater frequency of ADEBs was related to higher weight and shape concerns among individuals who endorsed ADEBs in the past three months. Presence of ADEBs and ADEBs frequency were not related to binge eating frequency.

Conclusion

Results suggest that clinicians treating individuals with binge eating who drink alcohol should screen for ADEBs and assess how ADEBs may contribute to an individual’s eating pathology. Future research should assess the temporal relationship between alcohol use and ADEBs engagement, and study ADEBs in BN-spectrum samples.

Level of evidence

Level V, descriptive studies.

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Funding

This work was supported by two grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant Numbers: R01MH122392-S1 and R01MH122392; PI: Adrienne Juarascio).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences Center, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street, Stratton 238, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Megan L. Wilkinson, Laura E. Boyajian & Adrienne S. Juarascio

  2. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, 3201 Chestnut Street, Stratton 238, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Megan L. Wilkinson & Adrienne S. Juarascio

Authors
  1. Megan L. Wilkinson
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  2. Laura E. Boyajian
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  3. Adrienne S. Juarascio
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Contributions

MW and AJ: contributed to study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection and analysis were completed by MW, and manuscript preparation was completed by LB and MW. All author contributed to and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Megan L. Wilkinson.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethical approval

The parent studies were approved and overseen by the Drexel University Institutional Review Board (IRB Protocols #2009008088 and #2001007570), and all participants provided informed consent and were compensated for their participation.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Communicated by Hermann Buerstmayr.

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Wilkinson, M.L., Boyajian, L.E. & Juarascio, A.S. Characterizing alcohol-related disordered eating behaviors in adults with binge eating. Eat Weight Disord 27, 3773–3779 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01475-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-022-01475-7

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