Relation of binge eating age of onset to functional aspects of binge eating in binge eating disorder

Objective: This study examined whether age of binge eating onset in binge eating disorder (BED) is related to affective binge eating antecedents and consequences. Method: Participants included women (N = 44) with BED who participated in a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) study. Measures included the Eating Hedonics Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Negative Emotionality factor, Restraint Scale, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Restraint factor, and Eating Behaviors-IV. Participants were classified according to reported age of hinge eating onset, with early onset defined as less than or equal to 13 years (EOB; n = 25) and later onset > 13 years (LOB; n = 19). Results: Compared with LOB, EOB was associated with reductions in postbinge subjective anxiety, but not depression. Discussion: This study suggested that EOB in BED may be associated with binge eating as an affective means of coping, particularly with anxiety, and further supported age of binge eating onset as a clinically meaningful way to delineate BED subclassifications. (C) 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.