Prevalence of binge eating disorder in different populations of French women.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of binge eating disorder (BED) in nonpatient women in the community and in weight control groups in France and to compare the characteristics of weight history of subjects with and without BED. Eating patterns over the past six months were studied by questionnaires in self-report format. The prevalence of binge eating, BED, and bulimia was studied in 447 nonpatient women and in subjects seeking help for weight control either in private practice (PP, n = 292) or in a hospital department of nutrition (H, n = 85). BED was common (PP = 9%; H = 15%) among patients attending weight control clinics but very rare in the community (0.7%). The disorder was associated with a history of weight fluctuations. Many subjects with BED referred to regular use of diet pills (29%) or vomiting (39%) but the prevalence of these strategies of weight control fell short for the requirement for the diagnosis of bulimia. BED was common in subjects seeking help for weight control and extremely rare in the community nonpatients.