Binge eating and psychological distress: is the degree of obesity a factor?

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether individuals with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) demonstrate comparable levels of eating pathology and psychological distress independent of weight status. Male and female participants with BED (N = 96) completed the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised; Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Checklist (SCL)-90-Revised, and Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2). Participants were divided into categories of normal/overweight, obese, and severely obese based on their body mass index (BMI). Analysis of variance was performed using scores on the psychological measures with subjects grouped according to weight status. Participants with BED did not differ on any of the measures of psychological or eating symptoms regardless of weight status. These results replicate and extend previous findings, suggesting that binge eating pathology independent of weight status, accounts for psychological distress among binge eaters.