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Descriptive analysis of binge eating in adult and adolescent females

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

Abstract

Purpose

Provide qualitative descriptions of context and characteristics of binge eating in adults and adolescents to explore consistency in precipitating factors.

Method

Open-ended, qualitative interviews were administered to an adult sample (n = 24) and an adolescent sample (n = 20) to collect details about the context in which two binge episodes occurred.

Results

Factors and context of the binge episodes were similar between adults and adolescents. In contrast, the two binge episodes described by each individual were not consistent. Binge episodes were not strongly affect-driven or food cue-driven.

Conclusions

Binge eating appears similar between adults and adolescents, which may have treatment implications. Similar treatment approaches may be used with both age groups and would benefit from covering a broad range of binge triggers rather than attempting to match individuals into an approach focused on particular triggers.

Level of evidence

Level III, case-control analytic study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Fabiola Valenzuela and Ayotola Onipede for their help with data collection for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305-5719, USA

    Cara Bohon, Brittany Matheson & Hannah Welch

Authors
  1. Cara Bohon
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  2. Brittany Matheson
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  3. Hannah Welch
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cara Bohon.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Ethical standards

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (K23 MH106794) and a gift to the Stanford Eating Disorders Research Program from Mary and Clinton Gilliland. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Stanford University (IRB Panel 4).

Informed consent

Informed consent and assent, when relevant, were obtained from all participants involved. The data supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, CB.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Psychopathological models and Eating and Weight Disorders.

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Bohon, C., Matheson, B. & Welch, H. Descriptive analysis of binge eating in adult and adolescent females. Eat Weight Disord 26, 1149–1158 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01013-3

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