title: Prevalence of binge eating and associated factors in a Brazilian probability sample of midlife women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of binge eating (BE) and inappropriate behaviors of weight control in a population sample of Brazilian midlife adult women and to correlate the prevalence of BE with self-rated health (SRH).
  
  
  METHODS
  A household sample of 1,298 females aged 35 years or older answered a face-to-face interview including questions on eating behaviors and had their weight and height measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of regular BE (twice or more episodes by week) and inappropriate methods of weight control was 11.5 and 10.2%, respectively. BE episodes were positively correlated with BMI and negatively correlated with age and SRH. These correlations persisted when mutually adjusted by BMI, age, and SRH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show the relevance of BE on the overall health of women of this age group and emphasize the need for expanding research on eating disorders to beyond the populations more frequently assessed of teenagers and young adults.
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Eating Disorders Group, State Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. silviafreitas@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Silvia Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Appolinario
authors.forename: Amanda de Moura
authors.initials: Ade M
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Rosely
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sichieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors