Eating self-efficacy and binge eating disorder in obese women

Investigators have begun to identify characteristics of obese individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) so that treatment programs can be tailored to meet the needs of this population. One important area in behavior change is self-efficacy. However, the relationship between BED and eating self-efficacy has received limited empirical investigation. In this study, obese women with BED had significantly lower eating self-efficacy and higher levels of depression compared with non-BED obese women. Additionally, the relationship between eating self-efficacy and BED was not mediated by level of depression. If further investigations support these findings, programs for BED should incorporate skills to enhance eating self-efficacy and foster strategies to manage negative affect.