The effects of caloric deprivation and negative affect on binge eating in obese binge-eating disordered women

Sixty obese women meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) research criteria for binge-eating disorder were randomly allocated either to a 14-hour period of caloric deprivation or to no deprivation. These women were then randomized within each deprivation condition to an induced negative or neutral mood before being served a multi-item buffet. Negative mood, but not caloric deprivation, significantly increased loss of control over eating. For self-defined binges, negative mood, but not caloric deprivation, significantly increased the occurrence of binge eating. However, for investigator-defined binges, both deprivation and negative mood increased the occurrence of binge eating. Caloric deprivation also led participants to eat significantly more during the buffet, but not over the laboratory day. Fat intake was significantly higher in both self-defined and investigator-defined binges as compared to overeating episodes. For those in the negative mood condition, anxiety had significantly declined by the end of the buffet.