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The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between patterns of meal replacement (MR) adherence and changes in outcomes during a behaviorally-oriented weight loss program. Data from the present study are based on sixty female participants (age: 29-62 years, BMI: 27.99-37.50 kg/m(2)). Participants were randomized into either a control or experimental condition, which tested the use of MRs during weight loss maintenance. Outcome measures included body weight, depression, physical activity, cognitive restraint, disinhibition, hunger, and binge eating collected at four assessment points. Within the experimental condition, we further examined adherence to MRs and its relationship with the outcome measures. We found evidence of differences at baseline on some measures (e.g., weight, physical activity and depression) while on others (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, and hunger), differences that emerged over the course of treatment. Further research is necessary to determine if there are measures associated with successful MR use that can be detected at baseline and if MR adherence itself leads to changes in eating behavior.

Objective: Research has begun to challenge the idea that a large amount of food is a diagnostically relevant distinction in classifying binge eating. This study examined the relationship between both objective and subjective (i.e., feeling out of control while eating an appropriate amount of food) binge eating frequency and factor analytically derived measures of dieting and psychopathology., Method: Participants were 40 women who were admitted for inpatient treatment for bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, binge-purge type, or eating disorder not otherwise specified with binge-purge symptoms., Results: Controlling for subjective binge frequency, neither the psychopathology nor the dieting factors were related to objective binge frequency. Controlling for objective binge frequency, dieting, but not psychopathology, was related to subjective binge frequency. There was no correlation between frequency of subjective and objective binge eating., Discussion: The results are discussed in light of research on restrained eating. Implications for diagnosis and the role of loss of control in defining binge behavior are also discussed., (Copyright 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)