Background: While excess weight is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, and many individuals who fail to maintain ideal weight could be characterized as compulsive eaters, there are currently no validated instruments to identify and classify compulsive eating behavior.
Objectives: To develop and empirically test an instrument to assess compulsive eating behavior.
Methods: Five components identified through a review of the literature on compulsive eating (emotional eating, restrained eating, food/weight preoccupation, hunger/satiety disturbance, and body dissatisfaction) were operationalized in 35 items. Data were taken from a college-based convenience sample (n=114) and outpatients seeking treatment for eating- and weight-related problems (n=205) who self-administered the questionnaire.
Results: Principal axis factoring with oblique rotation produced multiple, correlated factors that conform to the dimensions identified in the literature. Further evidence of the scale's strength was suggested by the pattern of association among several items specifically included to address the validity of the instrument. Additionally, individuals who identified with eating compulsively had higher correlations among the scale items than did those who did not identify with this behavior. There was evidence that the number of items could be reduced without significantly altering the value of the measure. Additional analyses are underway to reduce the scale, evaluate subscale reliability, and confirm the factor structure.
Conclusions: Preliminary psychometric evaluation of the 35-item questionnaire indicates that it may be useful in the assessment and surveillance of compulsive eating behavior. Additional psychometric testing will enhance the value of the measure for research and clinical application.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1) Identify the characteristics of compulsive eating behavior. 2) Compare and contrast compulsive eating with eating disorders established in the DSM-IV. 3) Recognize the link between dieting, obesity, and compulsive eating behavior. 4) List the public health implications associated with compulsive eating in the population
Keywords: Weight Management, Behavioral Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.