The long-term aim of this research is to identify in experimental studies factors that may influence binge eating. The identification of such factors will add to our basic knowledge of the phenomenon of binge eating and may also be useful in developing or refining treatments for binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. Analog studies, descriptive studies of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and treatment studies all suggest that two factors may influence binge eating: dietary restriction and negative mood. Hence, the primary aims of this proposal are to investigate the separate and combined effects of short-term dietary restriction and negative mood on binge eating behavior in the laboratory in a clinical sample. Three studies are proposed. 1. A 2x2 design with patients with binge eating disorder and non-eating-disordered controls allocated to either 1 or 6 hours of food deprivation. 2. A 2x2 design with patients with binge eating disorder and non-eating-disordered controls allocated to either induction of a negative or neutral mood. 3. A 2x2 design with patients with binge eating disorder allocated to one of four groups varying both mood and food deprivation. The data collected will also allow for various descriptive comparisons of eating behavior between binge eaters and non-binge eaters, and binge episodes and non-binge episodes in binge eaters, allowing further understanding of the phenomenology of disordered eating patterns.
