Prevention of Binge Eating

Abstract

Given the public health burden of binge eating, and eating disorders more generally, preventative interventions that target risk factors prior to binge eating onset have become increasingly popular in recent decades. Research to date has tested prevention programs delivered as early as elementary school and as late as mid-life, using in-person and internet-based delivery modalities. In this chapter, we provide an overview of risk factors for binge eating and then review the evidence supporting programs targeting these risk factors using: (1) in-person school-based programs, (2) in-person programs for young adults, and (3) internet-based prevention programs for adolescents and adults. While many programs have helped reduce risk factors for binge eating, only a few programs have demonstrated the ability to truly prevent binge eating. We also highlight new and developing research on preventative interventions and models to help disseminate effective programs to a larger and more diverse population of people at risk for binge eating and other eating disorders.