Beliefs about eating and eating disorders.
Beliefs about foods and binge eating may influence the development and maintenance of eating disorders and the likelihood that people will seek treatment. We found that the majority of a random sample of members of a large health maintenance organization considered binge eating a problem for which there are effective treatments. Self-reported binge eaters, however, were significantly less likely to agree that there are effective treatments. Two thirds of the sample reported that certain foods are addictive and also believed that strict dieting is an effective means of reducing binge eating. Therapeutic implications of these attitudes are discussed.
Wilson
G Terence
GT
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, United States. tewilson@rci.rutgers.edu
Perrin
Nancy A
NA
Rosselli
Francine
F
Striegel-Moore
Ruth H
RH
Debar
Lynn L
LL
Kraemer
Helena C
HC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003469:Culture; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015205:Northwestern United States; D055815:Young Adult