The current dissertation is comprised of two studies that examined the relationship between group dynamics, attachment anxiety, and post-treatment outcomes in a sample of women (N = 102) with binge eating disorder (BED) who received Group Psychodynamic Interpersonal Psychotherapy. The first study explored the relationship between the development of group cohesion, the individuals’ level of attachment anxiety, and frequency of binge eating, symptoms of depression, and self-esteem at post-treatment. The second study explored the relationship between the interpersonal learning, individuals’ level of attachment anxiety, and outcomes. Interpersonal learning was conceptualized as the convergence between multiple perspectives of group cohesion: one’s own and the group’s perception of one’s cohesion to the group. Parallel measures of individual self-rated cohesion (CQ-I) and mean group-rated cohesion (CQ-G) were developed based on the original Cohesion Questionnaire (CQ; Piper et al., 1983) for this study. Participants were assigned to homogeneous groups composed of either high or low attachment anxiety to assess the impact of pre-treatment attachment anxiety. Findings indicated significant growth in cohesion over time, and a significant convergence in multiple ratings of cohesion. These processes did not differ significantly based on level of attachment anxiety. Growth in cohesion was related to greater reductions in binge eating for those high in attachment anxiety, while the convergence in ratings of cohesion (i.e., interpersonal learning) was related to improvements in self-esteem for individuals in both attachment anxiety conditions. The findings support the importance of group interventions for BED that are sensitive to individuals’ attachment anxiety, and that emphasize cohesiveness, and interpersonal learning to improve outcomes.

This study investigated the extent biological, cultural, and psychological factors predispose individuals to eating disorders and compared the prevalence between (N = 103) male and female students (18-27 years of age) from Mississippi State University (MSU). Data was collected from the Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP), a media consumption questionnaire, the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS), the Diet History Questionnaire III (DHQ III), the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Age of onset was collected if participants identified as having an eating disorder. Data was analyzed using the Mann-Whitey U test and Pearson correlations to determine biological, cultural, and psychological susceptibility. This study determined that there are significant biological, cultural, and psychological predispositions that should be considered when diagnosing and treating individuals with eating disorders. Findings from MSU students were compared to current evidence and provides a basis for the development of future studies.

Diagnostic practices utilized in studies of participants with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder were investigated. A reliable coding system was used by two reviewers to analyze the diagnostic documentation practices in articles from the top-thirty most cited articles for each diagnostic category. Interrater agreements were all above .95. Results showed that many important diagnostic practices and criteria are either not being employed or not being documented. Uniform reporting procedures are necessary to help readers know how each article’s sampling procedure and subject pool differs from other samples used in the literature. Researchers reported the most details about sample characteristics with the recently proposed Binge-Eating Disorder category. Discussion focuses on identifying the specific diagnostic and sampling procedures deserving better documentation in the eating disorder literatures.

No description available.

Executive functioning (EF) problems may serve as vulnerability or maintenance factors for Binge-Eating Disorder (BED). However, it is unclear if EF problems observed in BED are related to overweight status or BED status. The current study extends this literature by examining EF in overweight-BED (n=32), normal-weight BED (n=23), overweight healthy controls (n=48), and normal-weight healthy controls (n=48). Participants were administered an EF battery which utilized tests from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) toolkit and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). After controlling for years of education and minority status, overweight individuals with and without BED performed more poorly than normal-weight individuals with and without BED on a task of cognitive flexibility (p < 0.01) requiring generativity and speed and on psychomotor performance tasks (p < 0.01). Normal-weight and overweight BED performed worse on working memory tasks compared to normal-weight healthy controls (p = 0.04). Unexpectedly, normal-weight BED individuals out-performed all other groups on an inhibitory control task (ps < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the four groups on tasks of planning. Our findings support a link between poorer working memory performance and BED status. Additionally, overweight status is associated with poorer psychomotor performance and cognitive inflexibility. Replication of the finding that normal-weight BED is associated with enhanced inhibitory control is needed. / Psychology

Body image concerns in Binge Eating Disorder (BED) have been examined almost exclusively in overweight individuals with BED. The current study extends past research by including overweight and normal weight BED and non-BED groups to assess the multifactorial construct of body image using subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination 16.0 (EDE-16.0) and a Body Comparison Task. Independent of weight status and when controlling for age and race, women with BED are distinguished from those without BED by significantly greater overvaluation of shape and weight on the EDE -16.0 and significantly reduced weight satisfaction after a Body Comparison Task. Both BED diagnosis and weight status were independently associated with weight and shape concern subscales on the EDE-16.0. Taken together, these data provide further support for the consideration of body image concerns in the diagnostic criteria for BED. / Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the variables associated with abstinence from binge-eating disorder and Bulimia Nervosa in the twelve-step recovery program of Overeaters Anonymous. The data were gathered through the completion of a survey by 231 active members of Overeaters Anonymous in the Washington metropolitan area. In addition to assessing the demographic composition of the aforementioned population, the variables that were assessed comprise the 'tools' of Overeaters Anonymous. They include: attendance at OA meetings, reading/writing from the Twelve Step literature, adhering to a food plan, having a sponsor, giving service, taking time for prayer and meditation, and making phone calls to other members. The activities of binge eating and bulimic participants were also examined to determine whether or not statistically significant differences exist between these two populations. Results revealed the typical OA participant to be a college educated (80%), Caucasian (89%) female (84%), between the ages of 34 and 44 (30%), married or living with a partner (44%), and employed in a full-time capacity (71%). Eight-four percent of the respondents were binge eaters, 15% were bulimic, and 1% anorexic. Multiple regression analyses revealed longer lengths of involvement in OA, a decrease in the frequency of relapse or 'slips', performing service, greater attendance at meetings, and progress on the ninth step, to be predictors of abstinence at the .05 level of significance. A lower frequency of relapse was predicted by longer lengths of involvement in OA, greater adherence to a food plan, increased frequency of phone calls to other members, and more time spent writing about one's thoughts and feelings at the .05 level of significance. Lastly, Independent Sample t-tests revealed bulimics to have significantly longer mean lengths of abstinence than did binge eaters. Alternately, the difference in the frequency of relapse or 'slips' between the two populations was not significant, suggesting that both bulimics and binge eaters have a comparable likelihood to relapse or slip back into eating disordered behaviors. / Ph. D.

Objective: Weight bias has strong associations with psychopathology in overweight and obese individuals. However, self-evaluative processes, as conceptualized in the process model of self-stigma, and implications for other health-related outcomes, remain to be clarified. Design and Methods: In a representative general population sample of N = 1158 overweight and obese individuals, the impact of core self-evaluation as a mediator between weight bias internalization and mental and global health outcomes as well as between weight bias internalization and health care utilization, was examined using structural equation modeling. Results: In overweight and obese individuals, greater weight bias internalization predicted lower core self-evaluation, which in turn predicted greater depression and anxiety, lower global health, and greater health care utilization. These mediational associations were largely stable in subsample analyses and after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Conclusions: The results show that overweight and obese individuals with internalized weight bias are at risk for impaired health, especially if they experience low core self-evaluation, making them a group with which to target for interventions to reduce self-stigma. Weight bias internalization did not represent a barrier to health care utilization, but predicted greater health care utilization in association with greater health impairments.

Submitted by Jean Medeiros (jeanletras@uepb.edu.br) on 2016-04-08T13:55:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Mielle Neiva Santos.pdf: 1770622 bytes, checksum: 763f433b505a4065e3ce458785efed2b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Secta BC (secta.csu.bc@uepb.edu.br) on 2016-04-12T17:22:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Mielle Neiva Santos.pdf: 1770622 bytes, checksum: 763f433b505a4065e3ce458785efed2b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-12T17:23:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Mielle Neiva Santos.pdf: 1770622 bytes, checksum: 763f433b505a4065e3ce458785efed2b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-25 / Goal: Assess the feeding behavior, the occurrence of binge eating and its relationship with nutritional status and cardiovascular risk score Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) in school adolescents. Methodology: Study of 540 teenagers between 15 and 19 years of high school public schools. Students were interviewed for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, through PDAY score and other related variables, answered questionnaires auto applied to identification of binge eating (Dutch Food frequency Questionnaire-QHCA) and were evaluated by Anthropometry. Results: PDAY score was ranked low risk (58.5%) and intermediate/high risk cardiovascular risk (41.5%). Obtained 13.9% of adolescents with some level of binge eating. There was substantial consumption of unhealthy food markers. He was also the high prevalence of physical inactivity (79.1%) and of inactivity/lack in physical activity (58.9%). According to the simple linear regression, the abdominal circumference is the variable that most interferes in BMI (51.7%), relationship that remained in multivariate regression (54.3%). Conclusions: The nutritional status was related to the score of binge eating and this was related to increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and lower levels of physical activity. PDAY score and score of compulsion not shown associates. He was the high prevalence of adolescents with some level of binge eating, pointing out that the maintenance of nutritional status mechanisms need to be further studied, to configure how eating disorders. / Objetivo: Avaliar o comportamento alimentar, a ocorrência de compulsão alimentar e sua relação com o estado nutricional e com o risco cardiovascular pelo escore Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) em escolares adolescentes. Metodologia: Estudo realizado com 540 adolescentes entre 15 e 19 anos de escolas públicas de ensino médio. Os estudantes foram entrevistados para avaliação do risco cardiovascular, através do escore PDAY e outras variáveis relacionadas, responderam questionários auto aplicados para identificação de compulsão alimentar (Questionário Holandês de Frequência AlimentarQHCA) e foram avaliados por antropometria. Resultados: O escore PDAY foi classificado em baixo risco (58,5%) e risco intermediário/alto risco cardiovascular (41,5%). Obteve-se 13,9% de adolescentes com algum nível de compulsão alimentar. Houve o consumo substancial de marcadores de alimentação não saudável. Destacou-se também a alta prevalência de sedentarismo (79,1%) e de inatividade/insuficiência na atividade física (58,9%). De acordo com a regressão linear simples, a circunferência abdominal é a variável que mais interfere no IMC (51,7%), relação que permaneceu na regressão multivariada (54,3%). Conclusões: O estado nutricional mostrou-se relacionado ao escore de compulsão alimentar e esta esteve relacionada com maiores níveis de colesterol total, colesterol LDL e com menores níveis de atividade física. O escore PDAY e escore de compulsão não se mostraram associados. Destacou-se a elevada prevalência de adolescentes com algum nível de compulsão alimentar, apontando que os mecanismos de manutenção do estado nutricional precisam ser mais bem estudados, para que não se configurem como transtornos alimentares futuros.

Binge eating disorder is characterized by excessive consumption of highly palatable food within short periods of time accompanied by loss of control over eating. Extensive evidence provides support for the consideration of binge eating disorder as an addiction-like disorder. In this study, we wanted to determine whether rats undergoing an operant binge-like eating procedure could develop maladaptive forms of conditioned feeding behaviors. For this purpose, we trained male rats to self-administer either a sugary, highly palatable diet (Palatable rats) or a chow diet (Chow rats) for 1 hour/day. Following escalation and stabilization of palatable food intake, we tested both Chow and Palatable rats in a i) conditioned place preference, a ii) second-order schedule of reinforcement and, finally, a iii) cue-induced suppression of feeding. In the conditioned place preference task, Palatable rats spent significantly more time in the compartment which was paired with the palatable food when compared to Chow controls. Furthermore, in the second-order schedule of reinforcement task, Palatable rats exhibited active lever responding 4- to 6-fold higher than Chow control rats. Finally, in the conditioned suppression of feeding test, while Chow control subjects reduced responding by one-third in the presence of the conditioned punishment, Palatable rats persevered in responding despite the aversive cue. These results further characterize our animal model of binge-like eating and provide additional evidence for the addictive properties of highly palatable food.