Utility and validity of the eating behavior inventory in clinical obesity research: a review of the literature.

The Eating Behavior Inventory (EBI) is a questionnaire designed to assess behaviours associated with weight loss and weight management. In the 25 years since it was first published, the EBI has been used to examine weight management behaviours of adults and children in more than 20 weight loss investigations. This paper systematically reviews the use of the EBI in these studies. Results indicate that baseline EBI scores have remained quite consistent over time and are generally not influenced by patient variables. The EBI has also been shown to be consistently sensitive to behavioural weight management interventions, but it appears that the amount of change in EBI scores has decreased slightly over time. Finally, the amount of change in EBI score with treatment typically correlates positively with the amount of weight subjects lose. Overall, the research that has used the EBI has provided solid and consistent evidence of the utility of the EBI as a valid tool for assessing weight management behaviours.