Binge eating and psychopathology in severely obese adolescents

Objective The authors describe binge eating and psychopathology in severely obese adolescents who are seeking treatment for obesity and search for specific psychological features that may be associated with binge eating. Method Obese adolescents (n = 102) were assessed with the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), and the Body-Esteem subscale from the Piers–Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSS). They were also evaluated with the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Brief Scale for Anxiety (BSA). Two subgroups (i.e., binge eaters and non-binge eaters) were then established according to the BES score. Results Binge eating symptoms were frequent in this population and the binge eating dimension was related to high levels of anxiety and depression, as well as to low levels of self-esteem and body-esteem. The dimensions of anxiety and depression were associated specifically with binge eaters. Discussion As observed in the obese adult population, binge eating symptoms were found frequently in severely obese adolescents seeking treatment and were related strongly to studied parameters. Obese adolescents who binge eat are a subgroup with high psychopathologic distress. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 34: 235–243, 2003.