Binge eating in overweight treatment-seeking adolescents

Eating disorder not otherwise specified in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To examine the frequency, type, and clinical severity of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in adolescents seeking treatment through an outpatient eating disorders service.

METHOD

Two hundred eighty-one consecutive referrals to an eating disorders program were assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) and self-report measures of depression and self-esteem.

RESULTS

The majority of adolescents presented with EDNOS (59.1%; n = 166) relative to anorexia nervosa (AN; 20.3%; n = 57) and bulimia nervosa (BN; 20.6%; n = 58). Most EDNOS youths could be described as subthreshold AN (SAN; 27.7%; n = 46), subthreshold BN (SBN; 19.9%; n = 33), EDNOS purging (27.7%; n = 46), or EDNOS bingeing (6.0%; n = 10); yet 31 (18.7%) could not be categorized as such (EDNOS "other"). Overall differences in eating disorder pathology, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem emerged between the EDNOS types, wherein adolescents with EDNOS bulimic variants (SBN, EDNOS purging, and EDNOS bingeing) had more pathology than youths with SAN or EDNOS "other." There were no differences in these variables between AN and SAN; in contrast, compared with BN, youths with EDNOS bulimic variants reported lower EDE scores and higher self-esteem, although there were no between-group differences in depression.

CONCLUSIONS

As in adults with eating disorders, EDNOS predominates and is heterogeneous with regard to eating disorder pathology and associated features in an adolescent clinical sample. Lack of differences between AN and SAN suggests that the strict criteria for AN could be relaxed; differences between BN and EDNOS bulimic variants do not support their combination.

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in overweight youth

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors appear to be quite common in youth, and overweight youth have been identified as a subset of the population at particularly high risk for endorsing such symptoms. Overweight and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology independently confer significant threats to one's physical and psychosocial health, showing strong links with body weight gain and risk for ED development. When concurrent, the risk for negative health outcomes may be compounded. The purpose of this article is to review the current state of the literature as it concerns disordered eating and its correlates in overweight children and adolescents. Extant literature on the prevalence, distribution, correlates, and etiology of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (i.e., negative attitudes toward shape and weight, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and binge eating) in overweight youth is reviewed and consolidated in order to make assessment and treatment recommendations for healthcare providers. The current literature suggests that early detection of disordered eating in overweight youth should be a priority to provide appropriate intervention, thereby helping to slow the trajectory of weight gain and prevent or reduce the long-term negative consequences associated with both conditions. Future research should focus on explicating developmental pathways, and on developing novel prevention and treatment interventions for overweight youth exhibiting disordered eating patterns.

A multisite investigation of binge eating behaviors in children and adolescents

The phenomenology of childhood and adolescent loss of control (LOC) eating is unknown. The authors interviewed 445 youths to assess aspects of aberrant eating. LOC was associated with eating forbidden food before the episode; eating when not hungry; eating alone; and experiencing secrecy, negative emotions, and a sense of "numbing" while eating (ps<.01). Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed a subgroup, most of whom reported LOC eating. Cluster members reported having a trigger initiate episodes, eating while watching television, and having decreased awareness regarding the amount consumed. The authors conclude that aspects of LOC eating during youth are similar to aspects of adult episodes, but a youth-specific presentation may exist. Findings may provide an intervening point to prevent excessive weight gain and eating disorders.

Classification of eating disorders: toward DSM-V

OBJECTIVE

A goal of the DSM-IV revision is to increase clinical and research utility by improving diagnostic validity through reliance on empirical evidence. Currently defined eating disorder (ED) categories have limited validity and require refinement based on data.

METHOD

The available scientific evidence is considered in evaluating the current ED nosology.

RESULTS

Specific recommendations include modifying ED classification by retaining categories but adding a dimensional component; removing the amenorrhea criterion for anorexia nervosa (AN); removing the subtypes for AN and bulimia nervosa (BN); making binge eating disorder (BED) an official diagnosis; and unifying the frequency and duration cut-points for BN and BED to once per week for 3 months. Priority research areas should include epidemiologic studies of full-range ED symptomatology and should focus on empirical validation for individual criterion.

CONCLUSION

There are significant issues to address in revising ED nosology as we move toward a more valid and useful DSM-V.

Eating disorder pathology among overweight treatment-seeking youth: clinical correlates and cross-sectional risk modeling

Preliminary research suggests that pediatric overweight is associated with increased eating disorder pathology, however, little is known about which overweight youth are most vulnerable to eating disorder pathology. We therefore investigated 122 overweight treatment-seeking youth to describe eating disorder pathology and mental health correlates, and to identify psychopathological constructs that may place overweight youth at increased risk for eating disorder pathology. Youth participated in a comprehensive assessment of eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, general psychopathology, and risk variables involving semi-structured clinical interviews and self- and parent-report questionnaires prior to the initiation of weight-loss treatment. Ten youth met criteria for an eating disorder, and over one-third endorsed recent binge eating. Eating disorder pathology was associated with depressive and anxious symptoms (p's<0.001). Structural equation modeling indicated increased negative affect, teasing experience, and thin-ideal internalization, and decreased perfectionism were associated with increased eating disorder pathology. Findings corroborate earlier work indicating that eating disorder pathology is elevated and clinically significant in overweight treatment-seeking youth, bolstering the need for mental health assessment of such individuals. Cross-sectional modeling proposed key variables that relate to eating disorder pathology in overweight treatment-seeking youth, which following prospective replication, may inform the development of effective interventions for overweight and eating disorders.

Preventing excessive weight gain in adolescents: interpersonal psychotherapy for binge eating

The most prevalent disordered eating pattern described in overweight youth is loss of control (LOC) eating, during which individuals experience an inability to control the type or amount of food they consume. LOC eating is associated cross-sectionally with greater adiposity in children and adolescents and seems to predispose youth to gain weight or body fat above that expected during normal growth, thus likely contributing to obesity in susceptible individuals. No prior studies have examined whether LOC eating can be decreased by interventions in children or adolescents without full-syndrome eating disorders or whether programs reducing LOC eating prevent inappropriate weight gain attributable to LOC eating. Interpersonal psychotherapy, a form of therapy that was designed to treat depression and has been adapted for the treatment of eating disorders, has shown efficacy in reducing binge eating episodes and inducing weight stabilization among adults diagnosed with binge eating disorder. In this paper, we propose a theoretical model of excessive weight gain in adolescents at high risk for adult obesity who engage in LOC eating and associated overeating patterns. A rationale is provided for interpersonal psychotherapy as an intervention to slow the trajectory of weight gain in at-risk youth, with the aim of preventing or ameliorating obesity in adulthood.

Validation of the emotional eating scale adapted for use in children and adolescents (EES-C)

OBJECTIVE

Eating in response to negative emotions is associated with binge or loss of control (LOC) eating in adults. Although children report engaging in LOC eating, data on emotional eating among youth are limited.

METHOD

We adapted the adult Emotional Eating Scale (Arnow et al., Int J Eat Disord, 18, 79-90, 1995) to be used with children and adolescents (EES-C). Fifty-nine overweight (BMI > or = 95th percentile for age and sex) and 100 non-overweight (BMI 5th-94th percentile) participants (mean age +/- SD 14.3 +/- 2.4 years) completed the EES-C, and measures of recent LOC eating and general psychopathology. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 64 children over a 3.4 +/- 2.6 month interval.

RESULTS

A factor analysis generated three subscales: eating in response to anxiety, anger, and frustration (EES-C-AAF), depressive symptoms (EES-C-DEP), and feeling unsettled (EES-C-UNS). Internal consistency for the subscales was established; Cronbach's alphas for the EES-C-AAF, EES-C-DEP, and EES-C-UNS were 0.95, 0.92, and 0.83, respectively. The EES-C had good convergent validity: children reporting recent LOC eating episodes scored higher on all subscales (p's < 0.05). The EES-C-AAF and EES-C-UNS subscales demonstrated good discriminant validity and the EES-C-DEP revealed adequate discriminant validity. Intra-class correlation coefficients revealed good temporal stability for each subscale (EES-C-AAF = 0.59, EES-C-DEP = 0.74, EES-C-UNS = 0.66; p's < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The EES-C has good convergent and discriminant validity, and test-retest reliability for assessing emotional eating in children. Further investigation is required to clarify the role emotional eating may play in children's energy intake and body weight.