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Household food insecurity is associated with binge‐eating disorder and obesity
Author(s) -
Rasmusson Grace,
Lydecker Janet A.,
Coffino Jaime A.,
White Marney A.,
Grilo Carlos M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.22990
Subject(s) - overeating , binge eating , food security , obesity , binge eating disorder , food addiction , psychology , psychological intervention , food insecurity , logistic regression , psychiatry , feeling , environmental health , clinical psychology , medicine , eating disorders , social psychology , agriculture , bulimia nervosa , endocrinology , geography , archaeology
Background Food insecurity stems from limited financial resources. Yet, paradoxically, food insecurity is associated with overeating and excess weight. One subcategory of overeating is binge eating, which includes eating an unusually large amount of food while feeling a concurrent sense of loss of control. Associations between binge‐eating disorder and food insecurity are not known, yet this is important to examine because binge eating is associated with more severe mental and physical health problems than overeating or obesity alone. Method Survey respondents ( N = 1,250) were recruited online. Participants were categorized into study groups: healthy weight (HW), binge‐eating disorder (BED), and obesity (OB). Using HW as a reference group, hierarchical logistic regressions evaluated the extent to which low and very low food security were associated with BED and OB. Results Low food security and very low food security were both associated with increased likelihood of BED and OB group membership. Conclusions Results highlight the need to devote resources towards policy revisions, preventative interventions, and psychiatric treatments aimed at decreasing the overall association of food insecurity with BED and obesity among low‐income Americans.