Weight Reduction in Obese Adolescents With and Without Binge Eating

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 982 - 987
• Main Authors: Bishop‐Gilyard, Chanelle T., Berkowitz, Robert I., Wadden, Thomas A., Gehrman, Christine A., Cronquist, Joanna L., Moore, Reneé H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Behavior Therapy - methods; Binge eating; Bulimia - epidemiology; Bulimia - psychology; Bulimia - therapy; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Depression - therapy; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Inhibition (Psychology); Male; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; Obesity - therapy; Philadelphia - epidemiology; Self Concept; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Weight Loss; Philadelphia
• ISSN: 1930-7381; 1930-739X
• DOI: 10.1038/oby.2010.249

Little is known about binge eating (BE) in adolescents. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between BE and weight loss in adolescents (BMI ≥95th percentile) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of behavioral and pharmacologic treatment of obesity. Participants were 82 treatment‐seeking adolescents (BMI = 37.9 ± 3.8 kg/m2; age = 14.1 ± 1.2 years; 67% females; 42% African American, 55% white). Participants completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Piers Harris Self‐Esteem Questionnaire, and the Eating Inventory (including cognitive restraint, disinhibition, and hunger scales). BE was assessed by a questionnaire and a confirmatory interview. At baseline, 24% of participants met criteria for BE (N = 13 met full BE disorder (BED) criteria; N = 7 met subthreshold BE). There were no significant differences in percentage reduction in initial BMI between participants with or without BE at month 6 (−7.0 ± 1.6 vs. −6.9 ± 0.9%) or month 12 (−8.8 ± 2.4 vs. −8.3 ± 1.3%) (omnibus main effect BE P = 0.89, interaction BE × time P = 0.84, interaction BE × drug P = 0.61). The rate of BE declined significantly over time from 24% (n = 20) at baseline to 8% (n = 6) at month 6 and 3% (n = 2) at month 12 (P = 0.003). There were significant decreases in hunger and disinhibition as well as an increase in cognitive restraint over time (all P ≤ 0.0001). Findings suggest a combination of behavioral and pharmacologic therapy may produce both weight loss and improvement in BE.