Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between caloric intake and perceived overeating in subjects with and without a history of problematic binge eating. Eighty subjects (20 in four groups: bulimia nervosa, compulsive binge eaters, obese, and normal controls) self-monitored eating for 2 weeks. The regression slopes for self-reported overeating as a function of caloric intake were contrasted across the four groups. At higher caloric levels, bulimics and binge eaters reported overeating at a significantly higher rate compared to obese and normal control groups. These data were interpreted as a type of cognitive bias whereby subjects with a history of binge eating distorted their perception of overeating at progressively higher caloric levels. It was proposed that excessive concern about eating and dieting may cause such cognitive biases. A parallel was drawn with body image distortion, which appears to be associated with overconcem with body size and shape.
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Williamson, D.A., Gleaves, D.H. & Lawson, O.J. Biased perception of overeating in bulimia nervosa and compulsive binge eaters. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 13, 257–268 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960788
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960788