Assessment of binge eating in obese patients.

Obese patients entering a weight control program were classified as binge eaters if they reported uncontrolled consumption of what others would regard as an unusually large amount of food at least once a week for the previous month. Binge eaters differed significantly from nonbingers across a broad range of eating and weight-related characteristics assessed using a self-report version of the Eating Disorder Examination. Attitudinal differences were marked. The results provided no support for the view that obese binge eaters have a pattern of general "addictiveness" to psychoactive substances or other activities.