title: A review of Latin American studies on binge eating disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the state of the art of the scientific literature on binge eating disorder in Latin America.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search of studies conducted in Latin American countries using the term "binge eating" was performed in the following electronic databases: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, and PsycINFO. Selected articles described studies developed with Latin American samples that met partial or complete DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  8,123 articles were screened and 30 studies met the inclusion criteria (18 cross-sectional studies, 5 clinical trials, 4 case reports, 2 validity studies, and 1 cohort study). Most of the studies were conducted in Brazil (27), one in Argentina, one in Colombia, and one in Venezuela. The prevalence of binge eating disorder among obese people attending weight loss programs ranged between 16% and 51.6%. The comparison between obese people with and without binge eating disorder showed a tendency of higher weight, longer history of weight fluctuation, more concern about shape and weight, and association with psychiatric comorbidity in those with binge eating disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Binge eating disorder is a detectable phenomenon in Latin America with clinical features similar to those found in the international literature. This review provides support for the consideration of binge eating disorder as a distinct eating disorder in the International Classification of Diseases - 11th edition.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Atenção aos Transtornos Alimentares (PROATA), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. mpalavras@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Marly Amorim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Palavras
authors.forename: Glauber Higa
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kaio
authors.forename: Jair de Jesus
authors.initials: Jde J
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Angélica Medeiros
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Claudino
mesh_terms: D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence