Eating patterns in normal weight individuals: Bulimia, restrained eating; and the night eating syndrome

✍ Scribed by Rand, Colleen S. W. ;Kuldau, John M.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 517 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/1098-108x(198601)5:1<75::aid-eat2260050107>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

Prevalence of eating behaviors and components of three patterns-bulimia, restrained eating, night eating syndrome (NESI-are described in 232 normal weight adults. Some components of eating patterns occurred frequently fe.g., guilt about eating), but items suggesting pathology were rare (e.g., self-induced vomiting). The prevalence of bulimia and NES is under 1 %, whereas 14% manifested the restrained eating pattern. More women than men manifest bulimic and restrained eating patterns; sexes were comparable on NES. Although the restrained eating pattern and bulimia were highly correlated, neither was correlated with NES or with attributes associated with NES.

This study describes eating behaviors of normal weight, middle-class adults. In view of the rapid growth of interest in eating disorders and eating behaviors of the obese, surprisingly little is known about the prevalence of various eating habits and components of eating disorders among normal weight individuals. Not only are relationships among these behaviors and disorders unknown, but it is difficult to estimate how deviant the obese are from normal weight persons.

The eating habits of normal weight adults have been studied either as a control in studies of obesity or out of concern for the effect of weight upon general health. For example, longevity is associated with average