Evaluating dietary restriction as a maintaining factor in binge-eating disorder

OBJECTIVE

Prominent theories of binge-eating (BE) maintenance highlight dietary restriction as a key precipitant of BE episodes. Consequently, treatment approaches for eating disorders (including binge-eating disorder; BED) seek to reduce dietary restriction in order to improve BE symptoms. The present study tested the hypothesis that dietary restriction promotes BE among 112 individuals with BED.

METHODS

Participants completed a 7-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol before and after completing 17 weeks of either Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy or guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy. Analyses examined whether dietary restriction on 1 day of the baseline EMA protocol predicted risk for BE later that same day, and on the following day. Changes in dietary restriction over the course of treatment were also evaluated as a predictor of change in BE from pre-treatment to post-treatment. Baseline dietary restraint was examined as a moderator of the above associations.

RESULTS

Dietary restriction did not predict BE later the same day, and changes in restriction were not related to changes in BE across treatment, regardless of baseline dietary restraint levels. Restriction on 1 day did predict increased BE risk on the following day for individuals with higher levels of dietary restraint, but not those with lower levels.

DISCUSSION

These findings challenge the assumption that dietary restriction maintains BE among all individuals with BED. Rather, results suggest that dietary restriction may be largely unrelated to BE maintenance in this population, and that reducing dietary restriction generally does not have the intended effect on BE frequency.

An examination of state and trait urgency in individuals with binge-eating disorder

OBJECTIVE

Negative urgency (i.e., acting rashly when experiencing negative affect; NU), is a theorised maintenance factor in binge-eating type eating disorders. This study examined the association between trait NU and eating disorder severity, momentary changes in state NU surrounding episodes of binge eating, and the momentary mechanistic link between affect, rash action, and binge-eating risk.

METHODS

Participants were 112 individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED). Baseline measures included the UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scale to assess trait NU and the Eating Disorders Examination to assess binge-eating frequency and global eating disorder severity. Ecological momentary assessment captured real-time data on binge eating, negative affect, and state NU.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analysis revealed a strong association between trait NU and eating disorder severity. Generalised estimating equations showed that state NU increased before and decreased after binge-eating episodes, and that this pattern was not moderated by trait-level NU. Finally, a multilevel structural equation model indicated that increases in rash action mediated the momentary relationship between states of high negative affect and episodes of binge eating.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the importance of both trait and state NU in binge-eating type eating disorders, and suggest NU as a potential key target for intervention.

Momentary skills use predicts decreased binge eating and purging early in day treatment: An ecological momentary assessment study

OBJECTIVE

Emerging research indicates that skills acquisition may be important to behavior change in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for eating disorders. This study investigated whether skills use assessed in real time during the initial 4 weeks of CBT-based day treatment was associated with momentary eating disorder behavior change and rapid response to treatment.

METHODS

Participants with DSM-5 bulimia nervosa or purging disorder (N = 58) completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) several times daily for the first 28 days of treatment. EMA assessed skills use, the occurrence of binge eating and/or purging, and state negative affect. Rapid response was defined as abstinence from binge eating and/or purging in the first 4 weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

Greater real-time skills use overall, and use of "planning ahead," "distraction," "social support," and "mechanical eating" skills in particular, were associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in binge eating or purging during the same period. After controlling for baseline group differences in overall difficulties with emotion regulation, rapid and non-rapid responders did not differ in overall skills use, or skills use at times of higher negative affect, during the EMA period.

DISCUSSION

Momentary use of skills appears to play an important role in preventing binge eating and purging, and certain skills appear to be particularly helpful. These findings contribute to the literature elucidating the processes by which CBT treatments for eating disorders work by providing empirical evidence that skills use helps to prevent binge eating and purging behaviors.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Individuals with eating disorders learn new skills during treatment to help them improve their symptoms. This study shows that for people with eating disorders, using skills helps prevent eating disorder behaviors in the moment. Certain skills may be particularly helpful, including planning ahead, distracting activities, support from others, and focusing on eating meals and snacks regardless of how one is feeling. These findings help us better understand how treatments work.

Changes in evening-shifted loss of control eating severity following treatment for binge-eating disorder

BACKGROUND

Loss of control eating is more likely to occur in the evening and is uniquely associated with distress. No studies have examined the effect of treatment on within-day timing of loss of control eating severity. We examined whether time of day differentially predicted loss of control eating severity at baseline (i.e. pretreatment), end-of-treatment, and 6-month follow-up for individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED), hypothesizing that loss of control eating severity would increase throughout the day pretreatment and that this pattern would be less pronounced following treatment. We explored differential treatment effects of cognitive-behavioral guided self-help (CBTgsh) and Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy (ICAT).

METHODS

Individuals with BED (N = 112) were randomized to receive CBTgsh or ICAT and completed a 1-week ecological momentary assessment protocol at baseline, end-of-treatment, and 6-month follow-up to assess loss of control eating severity. We used multilevel models to assess within-day slope trajectories of loss of control eating severity across assessment periods and treatment type.

RESULTS

Within-day increases in loss of control eating severity were reduced at end-of-treatment and 6-month follow-up relative to baseline. Evening acceleration of loss of control eating severity was greater at 6-month follow-up relative to end-of-treatment. Within-day increases in loss of control severity did not differ between treatments at end-of-treatment; however, evening loss of control severity intensified for individuals who received CBTgsh relative to those who received ICAT at 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that treatment reduces evening-shifted loss of control eating severity, and that this effect may be more durable following ICAT relative to CBTgsh.

Dietary Adherence Is Associated with Perceived Stress, Anhedonia, and Food Insecurity Independent of Adiposity

We examined whether perceived stress, anhedonia, and food insecurity were associated with dietary adherence during a 6-week intervention. Sixty participants (23 m; 53 ± 14 y) completed psychosocial measures and were provided with full meals. Individuals with obesity were randomized to a weight-maintaining energy needs (WMENs) (n = 18; BMI 33 ± 4) or a 35% calorie-reduced diet (n = 19; BMI 38 ± 9); normal-weight individuals (n = 23; BMI 23 ± 2) were assigned to a WMENs diet. Adherence scores were determined via weekly assessments and daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) of real-time behavior in a natural environment. Perceived stress and anhedonia were associated with % body fat (all r-values > 0.25, all p-values < 0.05), but food insecurity and adherence were not. Higher perceived stress (r = -0.31, p = 0.02), anhedonia (r = -0.34, p = 0.01), and food insecurity (r = -0.27, p = 0.04) were associated with lower adherence scores, even after adjusting for age, sex, and % body fat. In all adjusted models, % body fat was not associated with adherence. Higher measures of stress, anhedonia, and food insecurity predicted lower adherence independently of body fat, indicating that psychosocial factors are important targets for successful adherence to dietary interventions, regardless of body size.

Daily self-weighing compared with an active control causes greater negative affective lability in emerging adult women: A randomized trial

Age-related weight gain prevention may reduce population overweight/obesity. Emerging adulthood is a crucial time to act, as rate of gain accelerates and health habits develop. Evidence supports self-weighing (SW) for preventing weight gain; however, how SW impacts psychological states and behaviors in vulnerable groups is unclear. This study assessed daily SW effects on affective lability, stress, weight-related stress, body satisfaction, and weight-control behaviors. Sixty-nine university females (aged 18-22) were randomized to daily SW or temperature-taking (TT) control. Over 2 weeks, participants completed five daily ecological momentary assessments with their intervention behavior. A graph of their data with a trendline was emailed daily, with no other intervention components. Multilevel mixed models with random effect for day assessed variability in positive/negative affect. Generalized linear mixed models assessed outcomes pre- and post-SW or TT and generalized estimating equations assessed weight-control behaviors. Negative affective lability was significantly greater for SW versus TT. While general stress did not differ between groups, weight-related stress was significantly higher and body satisfaction was significantly lower post-behavior for SW but not TT. Groups did not significantly differ in the number or probability of weight-control behaviors. Caution is advised when recommending self-weighing to prevent weight gain for emerging adults.

Causal discovery analysis: A promising tool in advancing precision medicine for eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

Precision medicine (i.e., individually tailored treatments) represents an optimal goal for treating complex psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders. Within the eating disorders field, most treatment development efforts have been limited in their ability to identify individual-level models of eating disorder psychopathology and to develop and apply an individually tailored treatment for a given individual's personalized model of psychopathology. In addition, research is still needed to identify causal relationships within a given individual's model of eating disorder psychopathology. Addressing this limitation of the current state of precision medicine-related research in the field will allow us to progress toward advancing research and practice for eating disorders treatment.

METHOD

We present a novel set of analytic tools, causal discovery analysis (CDA) methods, which can facilitate increasingly fine-grained, person-specific models of causal relations among cognitive, behavioral, and affective symptoms.

RESULTS

CDA can advance the identification of an individual's causal model that maintains that individuals' eating disorder psychopathology.

DISCUSSION

In the current article, we (1) introduce CDA methods as a set of promising analytic tools for developing precision medicine methods for eating disorders including the potential strengths and weaknesses of CDA, (2) provide recommendations for future studies utilizing this approach, and (3) outline the potential clinical implications of using CDA to generate personalized models of eating disorder psychopathology.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

CDA provides a novel statistical approach for identifying causal relationships among variables of interest for a given individual. Person-specific causal models may offer a promising approach to individualized treatment planning and inform future personalized treatment development efforts for eating disorders.

Ecological momentary assessment of mood regulation eating expectancies in eating disorders: Convergent and predictive validity

OBJECTIVE

Eating expectancies (EE) are the anticipation of various benefits or detriments from eating, with mood regulation being a salient type of EE associated with eating disorders. This study examined the convergent and predictive validity of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) mood regulation EE items, including mood improvement and mood worsening EE.

METHODS

Thirty women with binge-eating pathology completed a 14-day EMA protocol, which included measures of mood regulation EE, affect, appetite, appearance- and body-related factors and disordered-eating behaviours.

RESULTS

Greater within-subjects hunger and lower within-subjects positive affect and fullness were related to elevated mood improvement EE. Higher within-subjects appearance concerns, fullness, body social comparisons and thinness pressure were associated with higher mood worsening EE. Greater within-subjects mood worsening EE predicted greater likelihood of vomiting at the subsequent time point, but there were no within-subjects associations between mood improvement EE and behaviours. Yet, greater between-subjects mood worsening EE were associated with more restraint/restriction and binge eating, and greater between-subjects mood improvement EE were associated with more binge eating.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support the convergent validity of EMA mood regulation EE items. There was limited predictive validity evidence, suggesting complexities in how mood regulation EE predict behaviour in daily life.

Time-of-day and day-of-week patterns of binge eating and relevant psychological vulnerabilities in binge-eating disorder

OBJECTIVE

The present study sought to characterize the temporal patterns of binge eating and theorized maintenance factors among individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED).

METHOD

Ecological momentary assessment of 112 individuals and mixed-effects models were used to characterize the within- and between-day temporal patterns of eating behaviors (binge eating, loss of control only eating, and overeating only), positive and negative affect, emotion regulation difficulty, and food craving.

RESULTS

Risk for binge eating and overeating only was highest around 5:30 p.m., with additional binge-eating peaks around 12:30 and 11:00 p.m. In contrast, loss of control eating without overeating was more likely to occur before 2:00 p.m. Risk for binge eating, loss of control only eating, and overeating only did not vary across days in the week. There was no consistent pattern of change in negative affect throughout the day, but it decreased slightly on the weekend. Positive affect showed a decrease in the evenings and a smaller decrease on the weekend. The within-day patterns of food craving, and to some extent emotion regulation difficulty, resembled the pattern of binge eating, with peaks around meal times and at the end of the night.

DISCUSSION

Individuals with BED appear most susceptible to binge-eating around dinner time, with heightened risk also observed around lunch time and late evening, though the effects were generally small. These patterns appear to most strongly mimic fluctuations in craving and emotion dysregulation, although future research is needed to test the temporal relationships between these experiences directly.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

It is unknown which times of the day and days of the week individuals with binge-eating disorder are most at risk for binge eating. By assessing binge-eating behaviors in the natural environment across the week, we found that individuals are most likely to binge in the evening, which corresponds to the times when they experience the strongest food craving and difficulty with regulating emotions.

Examining the role of craving in affect regulation models of binge eating: Evidence from an ecological momentary assessment study

Affect regulation models hypothesize that aversive affective states drive binge-eating behavior, which serves to regulate unpleasant emotions. Research using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) demonstrates that increases in guilt most strongly predict subsequent binge-eating episodes, raising the question: why would individuals with binge-eating pathology engage in a binge-eating episode when they feel guilty? Food craving is a robust predictor of binge eating and is commonly associated with subsequent feelings of guilt. The current study used EMA to test the hypothesis that food craving may promote increased feelings of guilt, which then predict an increased risk of binge eating within a sample of 109 individuals with binge-eating disorder. Multilevel mediation models indicated that increased momentary craving at Time 1 directly predicted a greater likelihood of binge eating at Time 2, and craving also indirectly predicted binge eating at Time 2 through momentary increases in guilt at Time 2. In other words, experiencing food craving at one time point was related to an increased likelihood of binge eating at the next time point, and a portion of this influence was attributable to increasing feelings of guilt. These results challenge simple affect regulation models of binge eating, suggesting that food-related anticipatory reward processes (i.e., craving) may be the primary driver of binge-eating risk and account for the increases in guilt commonly observed prior to binge-eating episodes. Although experimental studies are needed to confirm this possibility, these results suggest the importance of addressing food cravings within interventions for binge-eating disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the momentary relationships between body checking and eating disorder symptoms in women with anorexia nervosa

Body checking is common among individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and increases risk for dietary restriction. However, no study has examined whether body checking increases the immediate risk for engaging in other harmful weight loss behaviors, or whether this relationship is moderated by person-level traits. The current study utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine whether (a) body checking predicted rapid use of weight loss behaviors, and (b) whether eating-related obsessionality/compulsivity moderated this relationship. Women with full or subthreshold anorexia nervosa (N = 118) completed a measure of eating-related obsessionality/compulsivity at baseline, followed by a 14-day EMA protocol during which they reported on body checking and weight loss behaviors (i.e., exercise, self-induced vomiting, laxative use, skipping meals, and increasing fluid intake). In a series of generalized linear mixed models, within-person effects indicated that momentary body checking significantly predicted subsequent meal skipping and using fluids to curb appetite. Between-person effects indicated that individuals who engage in more frequent body checking also engage in a higher frequency of self-induced vomiting, meal skipping, and use of fluids to curb appetite. An individual's degree of eating-related obsessionality/compulsivity did not moderate any of these relationships. Findings highlight body checking as an immediate precursor of dangerous weight loss behaviors among individuals with AN, and underscore the need for clinicians to address body checking during treatment.

Accelerometer-Based Physical Activity and Shape and Weight Concerns Among Youth With Overweight and Obesity: A Pilot Exploratory Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Background: A bidirectional association between shape and weight concerns (SWC) and physical activity (PA) has been previously documented. This relationship may be particularly salient among youth with overweight/obesity, given that social marginalization of larger bodies has been associated with elevated SWC and barriers to PA. This pilot study explores reciprocal relationships between momentary SWC and accelerometer-assessed PA behavior. Methods: Youth with overweight/obesity (N = 17) participated in a 14-day ecological momentary assessment protocol, during which they were prompted to respond to questions about SWC several times per day. They also continuously wore Actiwatch 2 accelerometers to capture light and moderate-to-vigorous PA behavior. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling revealed a unidirectional association between SWC and PA, whereby after engaging in a higher duration of PA, participants reported lower SWC. SWC did not predict subsequent PA. Conclusion: The findings support a negative temporal relationship between PA and SWC. While further work is needed to replicate and extend these preliminary findings, they may suggest that PA acutely benefits SWC among youth with overweight and obesity.

Deficits in cognitive control during alcohol consumption after bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

While bariatric surgery results in substantial weight loss, one negative side effect of surgery is that patients often experience more rapid and intense intoxication effects after consuming alcohol.

OBJECTIVES

Given that alcohol use has been associated with impaired cognitive functioning in the general population, this study examined whether acute alcohol consumption after bariatric surgery immediately led to impaired cognitive control, and whether this effect was impacted by baseline levels of cognitive control.

SETTING

Nonprofit teaching hospital, United States.

METHODS

Participants were 34 adults who attended a laboratory visit before and 1 year after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, wherein they consumed a weight-based dose of alcohol and completed cognitive testing over the course of 3 hours.

RESULTS

A series of generalized mixed-effect models demonstrated that performance on the cognitive task generally improved over time, likely due to practice effects. However, following bariatric surgery, individuals with impaired cognitive control before consuming alcohol experienced greater commission errors immediately afterward.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that alcohol use after bariatric surgery may produce immediate deficits in inhibitory control among individuals who are already vulnerable to impaired cognitive control. Clinicians should seek to educate bariatric surgery candidates on this possible effect, as deficits in inhibitory control may ultimately lead to risky behaviors and poor adherence with postsurgical medical recommendations.

Relative food abundance predicts greater binge-eating symptoms in subsequent hours among young adults experiencing food insecurity: Support for the "feast-or-famine" cycle hypothesis from an ecological momentary assessment study

Food insecurity (FI) may increase risk for binge eating through a "feast-or-famine" cycle, where fluctuations in food availability correspond to alternating periods of food restriction and opportunities for binge eating, but research on this topic is limited. To clarify the relationship between food availability and binge eating in the context of FI, this study examined the association between momentary food security level and subsequent binge-eating symptoms among individuals in food-insecure households and investigated how this association differs by factors that may modify the extent to which food availability fluctuates. Ecological momentary assessment data were collected in 2020-2021 from 75 young adults (Mage = 25.3 ± 1.8 years; 72% female; 72% Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color) in the United States who had experienced past-month household FI. For 14 days, participants reported four times per day on food security and eating episodes, and binge-eating symptoms were assessed for each reported eating episode. About 35% of the variance in momentary food security ratings was accounted for by within-person variability over time. A significant within-person association was observed in multilevel analyses, indicating that instances of greater food security relative to one's average level predicted greater subsequent binge-eating symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that this association was significant only among individuals reporting use of food assistance programs, high engagement in resource trade-off coping strategies (e.g., skipping bill payments to buy food), or low food security-related self-efficacy. Overall, findings offer support for the "feast-or-famine" cycle hypothesis as an explanation for the link between FI and binge eating, emphasize the importance of identifying approaches to promote more stable access to adequate food, and suggest potential intervention targets to reduce risk for binge eating in populations experiencing FI.

"Feeling fat," disgust, guilt, and shame: Preliminary evaluation of a mediation model of binge-eating in adults with higher-weight bodies

"Feeling fat" is a subjective state that theoretically contributes to the maintenance of binge eating (BE). However, feeling fat, and its relation to BE among individuals with higher-weight bodies, has been infrequently studied. This study proposes a momentary-level model in which negative moral emotion states (disgust, guilt, shame) mediate the association between feeling fat and binge eating. In this study, 50 adults with higher-weight bodies (MBMI=40.3 ± 8.5 kg/m2; 84% female) completed a two-week ecological momentary assessment protocol, which measured experiences of feeling fat, emotion states, and binge-eating behavior. Univariate generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) evaluated the momentary associations among levels of feeling fat at Time 1, emotion states at Time 2, and binge eating at Time 2, controlling for Time 1 emotion states. GLMM results suggest that increases in each emotion from Time 1 to Time 2 mediated the association between Time 1 feeling fat and Time 2 binge eating. When modeled simultaneously within one multivariate multilevel structured equation model, disgust appeared to drive the relation between feeling fat and binge eating, over and above guilt and shame. Although preliminary, findings suggest increases in negative moral emotions, particularly disgust, mediate the feeling fat-binge eating association in adults with higher-weight bodies.

State negative affect in relation to loss-of-control eating among children and adolescents in the natural environment

Affect regulation theory proposes that loss-of-control (LOC)-eating is preceded by increases and followed by decreases in negative affect (NA), but empirical tests of this theory among pediatric samples in the natural environment are needed. Using an ecological momentary assessment approach, we conducted post-hoc analyses to examine LOC-eating severity reported during post-meal surveys in relation to the intensity of composite NA and NA components (anger, anxiety, depression, guilt) throughout the day for two weeks in a cohort of healthy children and adolescents. Multilevel models tested the associations among LOC-eating severity and NA components reported at pre-meal surveys (t-1), post-meal surveys (t), and lagged post-meal surveys (t+1). Models were adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, height, fat mass, socioeconomic status, and time between the occurrence and report of eating episodes; post-meal analyses were also adjusted for pre-meal NA. Participants age 8-17 (N = 100; 55% female; 45% male; 12.83 ± 2.73y; 24% with overweight/obesity) recorded 2410 eating episodes. Pre-meal composite NA and NA components were not associated with LOC-eating severity at the subsequent meal. LOC-eating severity was positively associated with post-meal depression (β = 0.042, 95% CI = 0.007, 0.076) and guilt (β = 0.056, 95% CI = 0.017, 0.095), but not composite negative affect, anger, or anxiety. The positive association among LOC-eating severity and guilt persisted in lagged post-meal analyses (β = 0.075, 95% CI = 0.021, 0.128). Contrary to affect regulation theory and laboratory data, but consistent with prior ecological momentary assessment data in children and adolescents, pre-meal NA was not linked to subsequent LOC-eating. Increased guilt following meals may be a mechanism for the development of exacerbated disordered eating. Longitudinal studies may elucidate how NA is implicated in the etiology of pediatric eating disorders.

Relationships Between Childhood Abuse and Eating Pathology Among Individuals with Binge-Eating Disorder: examining the Moderating Roles of Self-Discrepancy and Self-Directed Style

Childhood maltreatment appears to increase the risk for eating disorders (EDs). The current study examined potential moderating factors (i.e., self-discrepancy and negative self-directed style), which may increase or decrease the impact of maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse) on later ED symptoms. One hundred seven men and women with binge-eating disorder (BED) completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires assessing childhood maltreatment, self-discrepancy, negative self-directed style, and ED pathology. Linear regression was used to examine the moderating role of self-discrepancy and negative self-directed style in the associations between each type of abuse and level of ED severity. Actual:ought self-discrepancy (i.e., the difference between one's self and who one believes they ought to be) moderated the relationships between ED pathology and emotional abuse (β =.26 p =.007), as well as physical abuse (β =.23, p =.02). Results suggest that the relationship between childhood abuse (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse) and ED pathology may be stronger for those with higher levels of actual:ought self-discrepancy. Further clarification of the relationships between actual:ought self-discrepancy and distinct forms of childhood abuse is needed, as well as intervention studies examining whether targeting actual:ought self-discrepancy provides an additional benefit for trauma-exposed individuals with BED.

Naturalistically assessed associations between physical activity, affective functioning, and binge eating among adults with binge-eating disorder

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is associated with overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, and disturbances in affective functioning. While research suggests that physical activity (PA) may have beneficial effects on BED symptoms, little is known about the daily correlates of PA. As a first step in understanding the processes linking PA and binge eating, this study examined associations between PA (i.e., self-reported time engaged in moderate-to-vigorous PA), affective functioning (i.e., positive and negative affect, body satisfaction, emotion regulation), and eating-related cognitions and behaviors (i.e., craving, overeating, loss of control eating) measured via ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adults with BED (N = 91) completed a seven-day EMA protocol during which they completed repeated measures of these variables. Results indicated individuals who reported greater time engaged in PA over the EMA protocol evidenced higher positive affect and body satisfaction, and lower overeating (between-subjects effects). No significant within-subjects effects were observed. Findings demonstrate that individual differences in PA levels were related to more adaptive affective functioning and eating regulation in daily life. Results highlight the relevance of PA in BED, and the need for future studies to identify the timescale of these relationships using objective measurements of PA.

Gender differences in the relation between interpersonal stress and momentary shape and weight concerns in youth with overweight/obesity

The purpose of this study was to examine relations between interpersonal stress and momentary shape and weight concerns among pre-adolescent and early adolescent boys and girls with overweight/obesity, using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). We also aimed to determine whether interpersonal stress was differentially related to shape/weight concerns in boys versus girls. Forty youth, ages 8-14 years (53% female), with overweight or obesity reported their state-level shape/weight concerns and negative affect and their recent interpersonal stress (i.e., stress experienced since the last EMA assessment) multiple times a day, for two weeks. Results indicated that interpersonal stress predicted shape/weight concerns in girls but was not related to shape/weight concerns in boys. At the between-person level, higher overall feelings of loneliness and social rejection and a higher overall desire for more friends predicted higher average levels of shape/weight concerns. At the within-person level, higher momentary ratings of loneliness, social rejection, and desire for more friends predicted lower shape/weight concerns. These data suggest that the tendency to experience interpersonal stress may be more detrimental to body satisfaction for girls with overweight/obesity than for boys with overweight/obesity. Interventions that focus on reducing interpersonal stress may be effective in ameliorating shape/weight concerns in girls with overweight/obesity.

Negative affect and binge eating: Assessing the unique trajectories of negative affect before and after binge-eating episodes across eating disorder diagnostic classifications

OBJECTIVE

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies suggest that among individuals who binge eat, emotional states and binge eating are functionally related. However, it is unclear whether the trajectory of negative affect (NA) is the same across diagnostic groups or if specific changes in affect are unique to each diagnostic category. This study examined the moderating effect of diagnosis on the trajectory of negative affect before and after binge eating.

METHOD

Adults with eating disorder diagnoses (anorexia nervosa [AN] = 118, bulimia nervosa [BN] = 133, binge-eating disorder [BED] = 112) completed an EMA where they reported binge eating and negative affect throughout the day. Generalized estimating equation analyses were used to model the trajectories of NA before and after binge eating.

RESULTS

For all individuals, the linear trajectory of NA significantly increased before (B = 0.044, p < .001) and decreased following the binge-eating episode (B = -0.054, p < .001). However, diagnosis moderated this trajectory. Specifically, individuals with BN had a greater change in linear trajectories of NA before (B = 2.305, p < .001) and after (B = -4.149, p < .001) binge eating compared to those with BED, but not those with AN. There were no differences in the trajectory of NA between individuals with BED or AN.

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest that binge-eating episodes in BN may be more strongly associated with NA than in BED, but similar to binge-eating episodes in AN.

Food insecurity moderates the relationship between momentary affect and adherence in a dietary intervention study

OBJECTIVE

Negative affect and food insecurity have been proposed to impede adherence to weight loss interventions. Therefore, this study examined the role of these variables on dietary adherence using Ecological Momentary Assessment.

METHODS

A total of 50 participants (19 male participants; age = 49 [SD 14] years) participated in an outpatient dietary study. Lean participants (n = 22; BMI ≤ 25 kg/m² ) received a weight-maintaining energy needs (WMEN) diet, and participants with obesity (BMI ≥ 30) were randomized to receive either a WMEN diet (n = 14) or a 35% calorie-reduced diet (n = 14). Food insecurity was measured, and, twice daily, Ecological Momentary Assessment captured real-time affect ratings and adherence. Between-person (trait-level) and lagged within-person (state-level) scores were calculated.

RESULTS

Greater food insecurity and trait-level negative affect were associated with reduced adherence (p = 0.0015, p = 0.0002, respectively), whereas higher trait-level positive affect was associated with greater adherence (p < 0.0001). Significant interactions between affect and food insecurity revealed an association between higher trait positive affect and increased adherence at lower levels of food insecurity. Higher trait negative affect was more strongly associated with decreased adherence in participants with greater levels of food insecurity (-1 SD: B = -0.21, p = 0.22; mean: B = -0.46, SE = 0.13, p = 0.0004; +1 SD: B = -0.71, SE = 0.17, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Trait-level affect may be crucial in predicting dietary adherence, especially in those with greater food insecurity.

Associations of sleep with food cravings and loss-of-control eating in youth: An ecological momentary assessment study

BACKGROUND

Inconsistent sleep patterns may promote excess weight gain by increasing food cravings and loss-of-control (LOC)-eating; however, these relationships have not been elucidated in youth.

OBJECTIVE

We tested whether sleep duration and timing were associated with food cravings and LOC-eating.

METHOD

For 14 days, youths wore actigraphy monitors to assess sleep and reported severity of food cravings and LOC-eating using ecological momentary assessment. Generalized linear mixed models tested the associations between weekly and nightly shifts in facets of sleep (i.e., duration, onset, midpoint, and waketime) and next-day food cravings and LOC-eating. Models were re-run adjusting for relevant covariates (e.g., age, sex, adiposity).

RESULTS

Among 48 youths (12.88 ± 2.69 years, 68.8% female, 33.3% with overweight/obesity), neither weekly nor nightly facets of sleep were significantly associated with food cravings (ps = 0.08-0.93). Youths with shorter weekly sleep duration (est. ß = -0.31, p = 0.004), earlier weekly midpoints (est. ß = -0.47, p = 0.010) and later weekly waketimes (est. ß = 0.49, p = 0.010) reported greater LOC-eating severity; findings persisted in adjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

In youth, weekly, but not nightly, shifts in multiple facets of sleep were associated with LOC-eating severity; associations were not significant for food cravings. Sleep should be assessed as a potentially modifiable target in paediatric LOC-eating and obesity prevention programs.

Micro-level de-coupling of negative affect and binge eating in relationship to macro-level outcomes in binge eating disorder treatment

BACKGROUND

While negative affect reliably predicts binge eating, it is unknown how this association may decrease or 'de-couple' during treatment for binge eating disorder (BED), whether such change is greater in treatments targeting emotion regulation, or how such change predicts outcome. This study utilized multi-wave ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess changes in the momentary association between negative affect and subsequent binge-eating symptoms during Integrative Cognitive Affective Therapy (ICAT-BED) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy Guided Self-Help (CBTgsh). It was predicted that there would be stronger de-coupling effects in ICAT-BED compared to CBTgsh given the focus on emotion regulation skills in ICAT-BED and that greater de-coupling would predict outcomes.

METHODS

Adults with BED were randomized to ICAT-BED or CBTgsh and completed 1-week EMA protocols and the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) at pre-treatment, end-of-treatment, and 6-month follow-up (final N = 78). De-coupling was operationalized as a change in momentary associations between negative affect and binge-eating symptoms from pre-treatment to end-of-treatment.

RESULTS

There was a significant de-coupling effect at follow-up but not end-of-treatment, and de-coupling did not differ between ICAT-BED and CBTgsh. Less de-coupling was associated with higher end-of-treatment EDE global scores at end-of-treatment and higher binge frequency at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Both ICAT-BED and CBTgsh were associated with de-coupling of momentary negative affect and binge-eating symptoms, which in turn relate to cognitive and behavioral treatment outcomes. Future research is warranted to identify differential mechanisms of change across ICAT-BED and CBTgsh. Results also highlight the importance of developing momentary interventions to more effectively de-couple negative affect and binge eating.

Multi-state modeling of thought-shape fusion using ecological momentary assessment

Body dissatisfaction (BD) and preoccupation with thoughts of food (PTF) are intertwined and are components of thought-shape fusion. Thought-shape fusion describes the process by which PTF lead to beliefs about weight and shape. To study thought-shape fusion in daily life and explore various transitions between BD and PTF, 30 women with binge eating completed ecological momentary assessment for 14 days. BD and PTF were assessed using continuous rating scales at each prompt. Multi-state modeling, which analyzes micro-temporal transitions between discrete states, was used to examine transitions among four states created with BD and PTF ratings. The four states included low BD/low PTF, low BD/high PTF, high BD/low PTF, and high BD/high PTF. Affect and disordered eating were examined as covariates of state transitions. Results showed high BD states were self-perpetrating, such that when in high BD states, transition to low BD states were less likely. Regarding covariates, positive affect buffered against maladaptive transitions whereas negative affect and disordered eating increased risk. Findings highlighted high BD states as influential, and negative affect and disordered eating as risk factors and positive affect as preventive. This study enhances theory of thought-shape fusion and implicates transitions from BD to PTF as possible underlying transitions.

Pain is adversely related to weight loss maintenance following bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

Pain and obesity are frequently co-morbid health conditions; thus, it is unsurprising that pain is commonly experienced by individuals seeking bariatric surgery. While pain is generally reduced in the short-term after surgery, there is also variability in pain outcomes and less is known about how unresolved or recurring pain may relate to long-term weight loss and weight loss maintenance.

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated trajectories of pain scores through 7 years following bariatric surgery and whether higher pain levels related to poorer weight loss and greater weight regain.

SETTING

Data were collected from 3 university hospitals, 1 private not-for-profit research institute, and 1 community hospital.

METHODS

Self-report measures of pain and weight change data were utilized for 1702 adults seeking Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery from the Longitudinal Assessment for Bariatric Surgery (LABS) cohort. A series of linear mixed models examined trajectories of pain scores and the concurrent predictive relationship between pain and weight outcomes from pre-surgery through 7 years post-surgery.

RESULTS

Overall bodily-, hip-, and knee-pain improved through 2 years, deteriorated from 2-5 years, and then slightly improved from 5-7 years following surgery (P < .001). Greater pain was concurrently associated with less weight loss and greater weight regain over time (P ≤ .006).

CONCLUSION

Pain is evident in the long-term following bariatric surgery and associated with suboptimal weight outcomes. More research is needed to identify mechanisms underlying this relationship, which may ultimately help develop appropriate pain assessment and treatment strategies to ensure optimal post-surgery outcomes.

Food cravings and loss-of-control eating in youth: Associations with gonadal hormone concentrations

OBJECTIVE

Among youth with overweight, food cravings (FC) are associated with loss-of-control (LOC)-eating, but the impact of sex-associated biological characteristics on this relationship is unknown. We examined whether sex and gonadal hormone concentrations moderated the relationships between FC and LOC-eating severity among healthy boys and girls across the weight strata in natural and laboratory environments.

METHOD

Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), FC, and LOC-eating severity were reported 3-5 times a day for 2 weeks. In the laboratory, participants reported FC, consumed lunch from a buffet test meal designed to simulate LOC-eating, and rated LOC-eating severity during the meal.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven youth (13.0 ± 2.7 years, 58.6% female, 32.2% with overweight/obesity) participated. EMA measured general and momentary FC were positively associated with LOC-eating severity (ps < .01), with no differences by sex (ps = .21-.93). Estradiol and progesterone significantly moderated the relationships between FC and LOC-eating such that general FC and LOC-eating severity were only positively associated among girls with greater (vs. lower) estradiol (p = .01), and momentary FC and LOC-eating severity were only positively associated among girls with greater (vs. lower) progesterone (p = .01). Boys' testosterone did not significantly moderate the associations between FC and LOC-eating severity (ps = .36-.97). At the test meal, pre-meal FC were positively related to LOC-eating severity (p < .01), without sex or hormonal moderation (ps = .20-.64).

DISCUSSION

FC were related to LOC-eating severity in boys and girls. In the natural environment, gonadal hormones moderated this relationship in girls, but not boys. The mechanisms through which gonadal hormones might affect the relationship between FC and LOC-eating warrant investigation.

Dynamic Stress Responses and Real-Time Symptoms in Binge-Eating Disorder

BACKGROUND

Stress is a dynamic construct that predicts a range of health behaviors and conditions, including binge eating and excess weight. Thus far, there have been limited and inconsistent findings regarding stress responses in binge-eating disorder (BED) and insufficient consideration of temporal patterns of stress responses across the weight spectrum.

PURPOSE

The present study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine stress reactivity (i.e., the magnitude of the initial stress response), recovery (i.e., how long the stress response lasts before returning to baseline), and pileup (i.e., accumulation of repeated experiences of stressors and responses over time) as predictors of binge-eating symptoms (BES) and food craving in BED.

METHODS

Adults with BED (N = 115) completed a 7 day EMA protocol assessing stressful events, perceived stress, binge eating, and food craving prior to being randomized to a behavioral intervention.

RESULTS

Generalized estimating equations indicated that moments of greater stress pileup predicted greater subsequent BES (within-person effect). Participants with higher perceived stress and pileup reported greater overall BES and craving, and those with better recovery reported higher overall craving (between-person effects).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the importance of considering the dynamic nature of stress responses and, particularly, that the accumulation of stress over the day is an important trigger for BES.

Affective response to binge eating as a predictor of binge eating disorder treatment outcome

This report examined baseline affective response to binge eating as a predictor of binge-eating disorder (BED) treatment outcome. Baseline affective response was defined as: (1) each individual's average net change (i.e., area under the curve [AUC]) of positive affect (PA) or negative affect (NA) before and after binge-eating episodes and (2) post-binge eating slope of PA or NA across seven-days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adults with BED completed Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy (ICAT-BED) or cognitive behavioral therapy guided self-help (CBTgsh). Individuals with greater net increases in PA (AUC) following binge eating at baseline exhibited better treatment response in ICAT-BED at end-of-treatment and follow-up. NA affective response was only significant at end-of-treatment; individuals with less rapid post-binge improvements in NA (slope) did better in ICAT-BED, while individuals with lower net improvements in NA (AUC) did better in CBTgsh. Affective response to binge eating may be a marker of BED treatment response.

Relationships between nonappearance self-discrepancy, weight discrepancy, and binge eating disorder symptoms

PURPOSE

Self-discrepancy (i.e., perceived differences between one's actual self and personal standards) has been associated with binge eating disorder (BED) symptoms. However, little is known about how weight discrepancy (i.e., the difference between one's actual and ideal weights) interacts with or is distinguished from nonappearance self-discrepancy (discrepancy unrelated to weight or shape) in predicting BED severity. The current study examined how these two forms of discrepancy independently and interactively relate to BED and associated symptoms to elucidate how facets of self-discrepancy may operate to precipitate and maintain BED.

METHODS

Adults with BED (N = 111) completed questionnaires and interviews prior to treatment that assessed self-discrepancy (computerized selves) and weight discrepancy (assessed during the Eating Disorder Examination [EDE]) as predictors of global eating disorder (ED) symptomatology (EDE Global score), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), and ED-related impairment (Clinical Impairment Assessment).

RESULTS

Multivariate regression models indicated nonappearance self-discrepancy and weight discrepancy were not significantly related to the severity of global ED symptoms, but both independently predicted impairment (ps < 0.05). Nonappearance self-discrepancy, but not weight discrepancy, was also associated with higher depression (p = 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), and lower self-esteem (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest distinct associations of weight discrepancy and nonappearance self-discrepancy with ED and related symptoms, as well as each of these constructs' relevance to everyday functioning in BED. The results also highlight potential avenues for future research to examine mechanistic pathways by which self-discrepancy influences BED severity.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Negative Affect and Loss of Control Eating Among Bariatric Surgery Patients: an Ecological Momentary Assessment Pilot Investigation

BACKGROUND

Research shows that loss of control (LOC) eating impacts weight outcomes following bariatric surgery, but mechanisms explaining the development and/or maintenance of post-surgical LOC eating remain unclear. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research among eating disorder populations has demonstrated prospective relationships between negative affect (NA) and LOC eating; however, this momentary effect has not been examined among bariatric surgery patients. Thus, this study used EMA data to examine momentary relationships between NA and LOC eating among pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients.

METHODS

Fourteen pre- and 17 post-RYGB patients completed 2 weeks of EMA data collection. Participants responded to seven signals daily wherein they rated their mood and severity of LOC eating.

RESULTS

Higher momentary NA predicted more severe LOC eating for all participants. Group had a moderating effect, demonstrating that the association between NA and LOC eating was stronger among the post-surgery group. Percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) had a moderating effect within the post-surgery group, demonstrating that the relationship between NA and LOC eating was stronger for those who experienced less weight loss. Finally, between-subjects analyses revealed that, for individuals with lower %TBWL, lower overall NA and higher overall positive affect (PA) were related to greater LOC eating.

CONCLUSIONS

This research demonstrates that affect influences the effect of LOC eating on weight loss following bariatric surgery. While further work is needed to extend these preliminary findings, this research suggests that affective experience might become an important target in the assessment and treatment of LOC eating among bariatric patients.

Baseline and momentary predictors of ecological momentary assessment adherence in a sample of adults with binge-eating disorder

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a widely used methodology to examine psychological and behavioral phenomena among individuals with eating disorders (EDs). While EMA overcomes limitations associated with traditional retrospective self-report, it remains subject to potential methodological limitations, including poor adherence to the EMA protocol, which may bias findings. Little is known about baseline and momentary predictors of missing EMA data in ED research; however, such work may help clarify the correlates of missingness and illuminate steps to address potential bias. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of EMA adherence in a sample of adults with binge-eating disorder (BED) enrolled in a randomized treatment trial. Prior to treatment, 110 patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing demographics, psychopathology, and transdiagnostic risk/maintenance factors. Participants then responded to EMA questions regarding their eating behavior and internal states six times a day for seven days. A series of generalized-linear and mixed-effect models were conducted to examine baseline and momentary predictors of EMA adherence. No significant baseline predictors were identified, suggesting that participants' overall level of missing data was not related to person-level characteristics (e.g., gender, level of ED pathology). However, lower positive affect, lower hunger, signals later in the day, later days in the EMA protocol, and missed prior signals predicted greater odds of signal non-response, suggesting certain contextual factors may impact the likelihood that a participant with BED will respond to the subsequent EMA signal. Ultimately, these findings have implications for future eating disorder EMA research.

Treatment outcomes of psychotherapy for binge-eating disorder in a randomized controlled trial: Examining the roles of childhood abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder

OBJECTIVE

To examine childhood abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as predictors and moderators of binge-eating disorder (BED) treatment outcomes in a randomized controlled trial comparing Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy with cognitive-behavioural therapy administered using guided self-help.

METHOD

In 112 adults with BED, childhood abuse was defined as any moderate/severe abuse as assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, lifetime PTSD was assessed via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and outcomes were assessed via the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Covariate-adjusted regression models predicting binge-eating frequency and EDE global scores at end of treatment and 6-month follow-up were conducted.

RESULTS

Lifetime PTSD predicted greater binge-eating frequency at end of treatment (B = 1.32, p = 0.009) and childhood abuse predicted greater binge-eating frequency at follow-up (B = 1.00, p = 0.001). Lifetime PTSD moderated the association between childhood abuse and binge-eating frequency at follow-up (B = 2.98, p = 0.009), such that childhood abuse predicted greater binge-eating frequency among participants with a history of PTSD (B = 3.30, p = 0.001) but not among those without a PTSD history (B = 0.31, p = 0.42). No associations with EDE global scores or interactions with treatment group were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that a traumatic event history may hinder treatment success and that PTSD may be more influential than the trauma exposure itself.

Measurement of the influences of social processes in appetite using ecological momentary assessment

Obesity and eating disorders are serious health concerns that both involve dysregulated eating patterns, including binge eating and emotional eating. Though social processes and appetite dysregulation have been shown to predict dysregulated eating separately, limited research has examined the potential link between social processes and appetite in daily life. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between naturally occurring social processes previously linked with dysregulated eating and appetite using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Thirty women with binge-eating pathology completed five semi-random EMA surveys a day for 14 days. The EMA surveys included measures of social processes that occurred between surveys (i.e., interpersonal problems, body social comparisons, social media use, and external pressures for thinness) and assessments of appetite at time of survey. Multilevel analyses revealed that each social process approximately 2-h prior positively predicted appetite. Further, using lagged analyses, all of the social processes approximately 4-h prior, aside from social media use, predicted appetite. Our findings suggest that social processes are important in predicting appetite among women with binge-eating pathology. Future extensions of this research that include measures of dysregulated eating are needed.

Examination of momentary maintenance factors and eating disorder behaviors and cognitions using ecological momentary assessment

The integrative cognitive-affective therapy (ICAT) momentary maintenance model proposes a number of situational factors that precipitate eating disorder (ED) behaviors and cognitions. The current study examines momentary situational triggers in relation to a broad range of ED symptoms in a diagnostically heterogeneous sample of individuals with ED psychopathology. In the current study, 30 women with binge eating pathology completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol during which they responded to five random signals throughout the day. During signaled assessments, participants completed measures of self-criticism, interpersonal problems, self-regulation of binge eating, appearance concerns, and cognitive and behavioral ED symptoms. Multilevel models were used to examine prospective associations between hypothesized ICAT maintenance factors and ED symptoms. Within-subjects self-criticism prospectively predicted vomiting, restriction, preoccupation with thoughts of food, and urges to eat. Within-subjects interpersonal problems prospectively predicted vomiting, and within-subjects appearance concerns prospectively predicted preoccupation with thoughts of food. There were no significant predictors of binge eating. These results provide some support for hypothesized momentary situational triggers of ED symptoms in the momentary maintenance model of ICAT using naturalistic, momentary assessment. Specifically, it may be particularly useful for interventions such as ICAT to address momentary self-criticism when targeting a range of ED symptoms.

Predictors of treatment response durability in psychotherapy for binge-eating disorder: Examining the roles of self-discrepancy, self-directed style, and emotion dysregulation

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in hypothesized maintenance mechanisms during treatment as predictors of treatment response durability in binge-eating disorder (BED) treatment, using data from a randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy for BED with cognitive-behavioral therapy delivered using guided self-help.

METHOD

Adults with BED (N = 112) received 17 weeks of treatment. Regression models were conducted to examine the extent to which changes in hypothesized maintenance mechanisms from baseline to end of treatment predicted treatment outcomes at 6-month follow-up, adjusting for demographics, study site, and baseline level of treatment outcome.

RESULTS

During-treatment reductions in negative self-directed style and emotion dysregulation predicted reductions in the primary treatment outcome (i.e., binge-eating episode frequency) at follow-up. During-treatment reductions in emotion dysregulation also predicted improvements at follow-up across all three secondary treatment outcomes examined (i.e., global eating disorder [ED] psychopathology, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms), as did during-treatment reductions in actual-ideal self-discrepancy and actual-ought self-discrepancy. Increases in positive self-directed style (e.g., self-affirmation) and reductions in negative self-directed style (e.g., self-blame) during treatment each predicted improvements in anxiety symptoms at follow-up. When predictors were examined simultaneously, the most salient predictors of treatment response durability identified were negative self-directed style for binge-eating episode frequency, actual-ought self-discrepancy and emotion dysregulation for depressive symptoms, and emotion dysregulation for anxiety symptoms. No predictors emerged as most salient for global ED psychopathology.

DISCUSSION

Results indicate that negative self-directed style and emotion dysregulation are particularly important treatment targets in relation to behavioral treatment outcomes in BED.

Enhancing Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy with ecological momentary interventions: A pilot trial

OBJECTIVE

Although current treatments are effective for some patients with eating disorders, a large number of patients remain partially or fully symptomatic post-treatment. This may be related to poor utilization of treatment skills outside of the therapy office. Smartphone applications that can detect and intervene during moments of need could facilitate such skill use between sessions.

METHOD

Individuals (N = 16) participated in a small pilot open trial where they received 21 sessions of in-person Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy (ICAT) therapy an app (iCAT+) that delivers ecological momentary interventions (EMI) in response to user-entered data. Data were collected on the feasibility and acceptability of this treatment approach and on preliminary indicators of treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

Participants found iCAT+ as a treatment augmentation acceptable and indicated it had clinical utility as an adjunct to in-person therapy, although analyses indicated poor compliance with data entry needed to trigger EMI delivery. This suggests that long-term use of EMI requiring ongoing data entry is infeasible.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe lessons learned from our initial pilot trial and future directions for the development of impactful EMI systems that can be used to augment in-person therapies.

Differences in Affective Dynamics Among Eating Disorder Diagnostic Groups

Emotion regulation theories suggest that affect intensity is crucial in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. However, other aspects of emotional experience, such as lability, differentiation, and inertia, are not as well understood. This study is the first to use ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine differences in several daily negative affect (NA) indicators among adults diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge eating disorder (BED). Using EMA data from three large studies, a series of linear mixed models showed that participants in the AN and BN groups experienced significantly greater NA intensity and better emotion differentiation than participants in the BED group. Alternatively, the BN group demonstrated significantly greater NA lability than the AN group and greater NA inertia than the BED group. These results suggest that several daily affective experiences differ among eating disorders diagnostic groups and have implications towards distinct conceptualizations and treatments.

Comparing integrative cognitive-affective therapy and guided self-help cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat binge-eating disorder using standard and naturalistic momentary outcome measures: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Innovative treatments and outcome measures are needed for binge-eating disorder (BED). This randomized controlled trial compared Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy (ICAT-BED), an individual psychotherapy targeting momentary behavioral and emotional precipitants of binge eating, with an established cognitive-behavioral guided self-help (CBTgsh) treatment using standard and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) outcome measures.

METHOD

A total of 112 participants were randomized to 17 weeks of treatment (21 sessions for ICAT-BED and 10 sessions for CBTgsh). Binge-eating frequency was assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) as well as EMA using cell phone-based real-time, naturalistic assessment at end of treatment (EOT) and 6-month follow-up. Hypothesized maintenance mechanisms were assessed using self-report questionnaires.

RESULTS

Binge-eating frequency as measured by the EDE and real-time assessment showed significant reductions at EOT and follow-up, with no significant differences between treatments. Hypothesized maintenance mechanisms, including emotion regulation, cognitive self-discrepancy, self-directed style, as well as measures of associated eating disorder psychopathology, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and negative affect, showed similar improvement at EOT and follow-up with no differences between treatments. Abstinence rates at EOT (ICAT-BED: 57.1%; CBTgsh: 42.9%) and 6-month follow-up (ICAT-BED: 46.4%; CBTgsh: 42.9%) were not significantly different. Treatment retention was significantly higher for ICAT-BED (87.5%) than CBTgsh (71.4%).

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest that ICAT-BED and CBTgsh were associated with similar improvements in binge eating, psychopathology, and putative maintenance mechanisms as measured by traditional self-report and momentary, naturalistic assessments and that these changes were generally sustained at 6-month follow-up.

The role of affect in the maintenance of binge-eating disorder: Evidence from an ecological momentary assessment study

Affect regulation models of eating disorder behavior, which predict worsening of affect prior to binge-eating episodes and improvement in affect following such episodes, have received support in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, limited work has examined the trajectories of affect surrounding binge eating in binge-eating disorder (BED). In the current study, ecological momentary assessment data from 112 men and women with BED were used to examine the trajectories of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), guilt, fear, hostility, and sadness relative to binge-eating episodes. Prior to binge episodes, PA significantly decreased, whereas NA and guilt significantly increased. Following binge episodes, levels of NA and guilt significantly decreased and PA stabilized. Overall, results indicate improvements in affect following binge-eating episodes, suggesting that binge eating may function to alleviate unpleasant emotional experiences among individuals with BED, which is consistent with affect regulation models of eating pathology. Because improvements in negative affect were primarily driven by change in guilt, findings also highlight the relative importance of understanding the relationship between guilt and binge-eating behavior within this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictors and moderators of treatment outcome in a randomized clinical trial for binge-eating disorder

OBJECTIVE

The current study examined predictors and moderators of two interventions for binge-eating disorder (BED).

METHOD

Participants were 112 adults with BED (M_age = 39.7 ± 13.4 years; M_BMI = 35.1 ± 13.4 kg/m²; 82% female; 91% Caucasian) randomly assigned to integrative cognitive-affective therapy for BED (ICAT-BED) or guided self-help cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBTgsh). Generalized linear models examined predictors and moderators of objective binge-eating episode (OBE) frequency and OBE abstinence at end-of-treatment (EOT) and 6-month follow-up (FU).

RESULTS

Lower levels of baseline dietary restraint and emotion regulation difficulties predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency at EOT and FU, respectively. At EOT, greater pretreatment self-control predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED than CBTgsh (ps < .05). In addition, low shape/weight overvaluation predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED than CBTgsh, whereas high shape/weight overvaluation predicted comparable reductions in OBE frequency across treatments at EOT (ps < .02). At EOT and FU, greater baseline actual-ideal self-discrepancy predicted significantly greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED, than CBTgsh (ps < .02). No significant predictor or moderator effects were observed for models examining OBE abstinence.

CONCLUSION

This study identified two general predictors and four moderators of BED treatment response. However, only one predictor (actual-ideal self-discrepancy) interacted with treatment type to differentially predict OBE frequencies at both EOT and FU. Altogether, findings suggest that ICAT-BED may confer specific and durable improvements in OBE frequencies among individuals with high actual-ideal self-discrepancy. Therefore, patients demonstrating these characteristics may be more likely to benefit from ICAT-BED. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Problematic Alcohol Use and Associated Characteristics Following Bariatric Surgery

PURPOSE

Evidence suggests that a significant minority of individuals who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) experience problematic alcohol and substance use following surgery. However, little research has examined characteristics, drinking patterns, and possible risk factors within this population. To provide descriptive information of a sample of adults with self-identified alcohol use problems following bariatric surgery, this study examined (1) alcohol and substance use symptoms using standardized assessments, (2) current and past psychiatric comorbidity, (3) subjective changes in alcohol sensitivity following surgery, and (4) specific patterns of alcohol use prior to and following bariatric surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult participants (N = 26) completed a series of structured diagnostic interviews and self-report assessments (e.g., Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT], Michigan Alcohol Screening Test [MAST], Drug Abuse Screening Test [DAST]) by telephone 1 to 4 years following a RYGB or sleeve gastrectomy.

RESULTS

All participants met objective criteria for current problematic alcohol use based on AUDIT and MAST cutoff scores, reported increased subjective sensitivity to alcohol following surgery, and evidenced significant current and past psychiatric comorbidities, most notably previous major depression (45.5%). Approximately one third of participants evidenced new-onset Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) alcohol use or dependence following surgery. Preoperative drinking frequencies and quantities were similar to those reported during the period of the heaviest postoperative alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings have implications for pre- and postoperative prevention and intervention efforts. Additional research is needed to further elucidate risk factors for problematic alcohol use following bariatric surgery.

Moving beyond self-report data collection in the natural environment: A review of the past and future directions for ambulatory assessment in eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has been used to repeatedly assess eating disorder (ED) symptoms in naturalistic settings, which has allowed for increased understanding of temporal processes that potentiate ED behaviors. However, there remain notable limitations of self-report EMA, and with the rapid proliferation of technology there are ever-increasing possibilities to improve ambulatory assessment methods to further the understanding and treatment of EDs. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to (a) systematically review the studies in EDs that have utilized ambulatory assessment methods other than self-report, and (b) provide directions for future research and clinical applications.

METHOD

A systematic literature search of electronic databases was conducted, and data regarding study characteristics and methodological quality were extracted.

RESULTS

The search identified 17 studies that used ambulatory assessment methods to gather objective data, and focused primarily on autonomic functioning, physical activity, and cognitive processes in ED and control groups.

DISCUSSION

Together the literature demonstrates the promise of using a range of ecologically valid ambulatory assessment approaches in EDs, though there remains limited research that has utilized methods other than self-report (e.g., wearable sensors), particularly in recent years. Going forward, there are several technology-enhanced momentary assessment methods that have potential to improve the understanding and treatment of EDs.

A multimodal, naturalistic investigation of relationships between behavioral impulsivity, affect, and binge eating

While binge eating is associated with both emotion regulation deficits and cognitive control impairments related to impulsivity, thus far research has not examined how dimensions of behavioral impulsivity may influence momentary relationships between affect and binge-eating episodes. The present study utilized multimodal methods to examine the extent to which individual differences in impulsive choice (i.e., delay and probabilistic discounting) and impulsive action (i.e., response inhibition) moderated momentary relationships between negative and positive affect (NA and PA) and binge eating measured in the natural environment. Participants were 30 adult women with binge-eating symptoms who completed measures of behavioral impulsivity (i.e., Monetary Choice Questionnaire, Cued Go/No-Go task, Game of Dice Task), followed by a 14-day ecological momentary assessment protocol during which they reported affect levels and binge-eating episodes. Results of generalized estimating equations indicated that greater delay discounting (i.e., preference for immediate, yet smaller rewards) strengthened momentary relationships between both PA and NA and binge eating. However, and unexpectedly, the relationship between momentary PA and binge eating was negative among individuals with greater Cued Go/No-go commission errors, suggesting that higher PA actually attenuated risk of binge episode occurring in these individuals. Together these findings highlight important distinctions between facets of behavioral impulsivity as well as their relationships with affect valence and intensity in predicting binge episodes. Specifically, temporal rather than probabilistic discounting may be most relevant to momentary processes that contribute to binge eating, and promotion of momentary positive affect may be helpful for individuals with poorer response inhibition.

Trait-level facets of impulsivity and momentary, naturalistic eating behavior in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity

Impulsivity, and specific subdomains of inhibitory control and reward sensitivity, are trait-level factors that have been implicated in the onset and maintenance of pediatric obesity and disordered eating, but their associations with real-world eating behavior are unknown. We investigated associations of these trait-level constructs with naturalistic, momentary measures of loss of control (LOC) eating and overeating severity in a heterogeneous sample of youth (n = 40), aged 8-14y, with overweight/obesity. Self-report, parent-report, and behavioral data on trait-level impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and inhibitory control, respectively, were collected in the context of a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol in which participants reported on their eating behavior, mood, hunger, and palatability of foods consumed in real-time. Generalized estimating equations revealed that more perseverative errors on a behavioral measure of visuomotor processing speed and a lower self-reported tendency to act without thinking (at a trend level) were related to greater overall LOC severity. Momentary associations between negative affect and LOC severity were stronger among individuals with greater perseverative errors. Results suggest that trait-level facets of impulsivity may directly influence an individual's tendency to engage in dysregulated eating behaviors, and may also impact susceptibility to state-level factors associated with occurrence of these behaviors. Momentary interventions for LOC eating may require tailoring to address temperamental factors related to impulsivity and inhibitory control.

A longitudinal examination of suicide-related thoughts and behaviors among bariatric surgery patients

BACKGROUND

Past research suggests self-harm/suicidality are more common among adults who have undergone bariatric surgery than the general population.

OBJECTIVES

To compare prevalence of self-harm/suicidal ideation over time and identify presurgery risk factors for postsurgery self-harm/suicidal ideation.

SETTING

The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 is a cohort study with presurgery and annual postsurgery assessments conducted at 10 U.S. hospitals.

METHODS

Adults with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery between March 2006 and April 2009 (n = 2458). Five-year follow-up is reported. Self-reported history of suicidality assessed retrospectively via the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) and self-reported self-harm/suicidal ideation assessed prospectively via the Beck Depression Inventory-Version 1 (BDI-1).

RESULTS

The SBQ-R was completed by 1540 participants; 2217 completed the BDI-1 pre- and postsurgery. Over 75% of participants were female, with a median age of 46 years and body mass index of 45.9 kg/m². Approximately one fourth of participants (395/1534) reported a presurgery history of suicidal thoughts or behavior (SBQ-R). The prevalence of self-harm/suicidal ideation (BDI-1) was 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-6.8) presurgery and 3.8% (95% CI, 2.5-5.1) at year 1 postsurgery (P = .06). Prevalence increased over time postsurgery to 6.6% (95% CI, 4.6-8.6) at year 5 (P = .001) but was not significantly different than presurgery (P = .12).

CONCLUSIONS

A large cohort of adults with severe obesity who underwent bariatric surgery had a prevalence of self-harm/suicidal ideation that may have decreased in the first postoperative year but increased over time to presurgery levels, suggesting screening for self-harm/suicidality is warranted throughout long-term postoperative care. Several risk factors were identified that may help with enhanced monitoring.

Dimensional analysis of emotion trajectories before and after disordered eating behaviors in a sample of women with bulimia nervosa

There is an established relationship between increases in negative affect and engagement in binge eating and purging behaviors. Some evidence suggests that these behaviors may also be maintained via subsequent increases in positive affect. However, negative and positive affect are broad terms encompassing many emotions, and there is a theoretical speculation that every emotion consists of at least of three separate dimensions: valence, arousal, and approach/withdrawal. We conducted secondary analyses on a previously collected dataset using ecological momentary assessment in 133 women with bulimia nervosa. Participants rated their experience of discrete emotions and bulimic behaviors six times per day. Negative and positive emotions were organized within the 3-dimensional space characterized by valence, arousal, and approach/withdrawal. With multilevel modeling, we examined the trajectories of dimensionally defined emotion constructs prior and subsequent to bulimic behaviors as well as on days with and without bulimic behaviors. Negative valence, high arousal, and avoidance typified emotions that reached the highest levels before bulimic behaviors and were at the highest mean levels on days with bulimic behaviors. Arousal did not appear to moderate the trajectories of positive emotions. Application of a dimensional understanding of emotions may help elucidate the complex relationship between mood and disordered eating.

Examining a momentary mediation model of appearance-related stress, anxiety, and eating disorder behaviors in adult anorexia nervosa

PURPOSE

Appearance-related stress may result from appearance-focused events such as seeing one's reflection, seeing media images, and shopping for clothes. The purpose of this study was to examine the prospective association between momentary appearance-related stress and eating disorder (ED) behaviors (i.e., binge eating and vomiting) among women with anorexia nervosa (AN) using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). We hypothesized that appearance-related stress at Time 1 would predict binge eating and vomiting at Time 2, and that this prospective association would be mediated by momentary anxiety at Time 2 (controlling for anxiety at Time 1).

METHODS

Women with AN completed a 2-week EMA protocol involving repeated daily assessments of experiences and behaviors.

RESULTS

Momentary appearance-related stress preceded binge eating and vomiting, and momentary anxiety mediated the prospective association between appearance-related stress and ED behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted momentary interventions delivered in the natural environment that address appearance-related stress may have utility in the treatment of ED behaviors.

The moderating effect of impulsivity on negative affect and body checking

This study examined the moderating effects of different aspects of trait impulsivity on trajectories of negative affect prior to and following body checking in the natural environment in women with anorexia nervosa (AN). Body checking is a compulsive behavior that may maintain the cycle of eating disordered behavior through negative reinforcement. Previous studies regarding the relationship of negative affect to body checking have been inconsistent, making it unclear how negative affect functions as an antecedent to this behavior in the natural environment. We hypothesized that individual differences in trait impulsivity may influence body checking in response to negative affect. Negative urgency (NU) (the tendency to act rashly under distress) and (lack of) perseverance (the tendency to give up on goal directed behavior) may be unique facets of impulsivity that play a role in body checking. Women with AN (n = 82) completed a self-report measure of impulsivity and used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to record negative affect and body checking for two weeks. Results indicated that women with low (lack of) perseverance experienced a greater increase in negative affect than those with high (lack of) perseverance prior to and following body checking. Overall, results indicate that individual differences in trait impulsivity moderated the relationship of negative affect to body checking in women with AN.

Associations among eating disorder behaviors and eating disorder quality of life in adult women with anorexia nervosa

The study examined associations between eating disorder behaviors measured via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and eating disorder quality of life (EDQOL) in anorexia nervosa (AN). Women with AN (N = 82) completed an EDQOL measure and two-weeks of EMA. Greater frequency of EMA-assessed restriction and bulimic behavior were independently related to lower EDQOL scores. Lower psychological EDQOL was associated with increased EMA dietary restriction; lower work-related EDQOL was associated with increased EMA binge eating; aspects of EDQOL were unrelated to EMA purging. Findings suggest that severity of restriction and bulimic behaviors may serve as severity indicators of EDQOL in AN.