Premium
The Significance of Overvaluation of Shape or Weight in Binge‐Eating Disorder: Results from a National Sample of U.S. Adults
Author(s) -
Coffino Jaime A.,
Udo Tomoko,
Grilo Carlos M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.22539
Subject(s) - binge eating disorder , medicine , bulimia nervosa , dsm 5 , binge eating , psychiatry , eating disorders
Objective This study aimed to examine the prevalence of overvaluation of shape or weight in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults with binge‐eating disorder (BED) and to compare functioning correlates using a group of adults with bulimia nervosa (BN). Methods Participants included 207 respondents from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) diagnoses of BED ( n = 163) or BN ( n = 44). Sociodemographic characteristics and functioning were compared in BED with overvaluation (BED+OV), BED without overvaluation (BED), and BN. Results Approximately 50% of BED respondents reported overvaluation. Mean age was lower in BN than BED. Mean BMI was lower in BED+OV than BED and higher than BN. A greater proportion of BED+OV reported functional impairment than BED. BN was more likely to report “serious problems doing daily tasks” than BED and less likely to report “impairment in normal activities” than BED+OV. BN reported significantly lower mental functioning than BED. Conclusions Findings based on this nationally representative sample are that overvaluation was associated with greater functional impairment within BED, and BED+OV reported greater impairment than BN in interference with normal activities but less impairment related to mental health. The increased impairment associated with BED+OV provides support for overvaluation as a diagnostic specifier for BED.