Binge Eating: Short-Term Program Has Long-Term Benefits

A new study finds that a self-guided, 12-week program helps binge eaters stop binging for up to a year and the program can also save money for those who participate. Recurrent binge eating is the most common eating disorder in the country, affecting more than three percent of the population, or nine million people, yet few treatment options are available.

But a first-of-a-kind study conducted by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Wesleyan University and Rutgers University found that more than 63 percent of participants had stopped binging at the end of the program – compared to just over 28 percent of those who did not participate. The program lasted only 12 weeks, but most of the participants were still binge free a year later. A second study, also published in the April issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that program participants saved money because they spent less on things like dietary supplements and weight loss programs.

“It is unusual to find a program like this that works well, and also saves the patient money. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said study author Frances Lynch, PhD, MSPH, a health economist at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. “This type of program is something that all health care systems should consider implementing.” Read more

Bulimia, Binge Eating Respond To Talk Therapy

Although most people with bulimia and binge eating disorders wait many years before seeking help, a new review shows that psychological treatment can make a large difference and that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective talk therapy for these disorders.

People with bulimia experience cycles of disordered eating behavior in which they overeat and then purge, often by self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives. Binge eating disorder includes bouts of overeating, but without purging, and researchers have linked it to obesity.

Eating disorders are most common in women, with bulimia affecting about 1 percent of women and binge eating disorder affecting 2 percent to 5 percent. Although bulimia rates appear stable, binge eating disorder increasingly is becoming common.

The review included 48 studies with 3,054 participants and strengthened earlier findings in favor of cognitive behavioral therapy. It found that 37 percent of people completely stopped binge eating when given CBT focused on binging while 3 percent of those assigned to a waiting list control group quit. Read more