Psychosocial factors associated with binge eating among overweight and obese male veterans

Abstract

The study's primary objective is to compare psychosocial characteristics of overweight/obese male Veterans who report binge eating with those who do not report binge eating. Participants include 111 overweight/obese male Veterans who completed questionnaires assessing binge eating, depression, stress, body image, self-efficacy for healthy eating and physical activity, and barriers to physical activity. Of the study sample, 25.2% are classified as binge eaters. Binge eating status is not significantly associated with age, race/ethnicity, weight, or BMI. Binge eating is associated with higher scores on measures of depression, barriers to exercise, self-classified weight, and lower self-efficacy for both healthy eating and exercise, but is not associated with body satisfaction or recent stress. Findings suggest that a sizable minority of overweight/obese male Veterans engage in binge eating. Depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers all significantly predicted binge eating. These findings have implications both for identification of overweight/obese men at risk for binge eating disorder as well as for weight loss treatment in the Veteran population.