title: Examination of food reward and energy intake under laboratory and free-living conditions in a trait binge eating subtype of obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Trait binge eating has been proposed as a "hedonic subtype" of obesity characterized by enhanced food liking and wanting, and a preference for high-fat sweet foods in the laboratory. The current study examined the influence of trait binge eating in overweight or obese women on eating behavior under laboratory and free-living conditions over a 48-h period.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a matched pairs design, 24 overweight or obese females (BMI: 30.30 ± 2.60 kg/m(2); Age: 25.42 ± 3.65 years) with high or low scores on the Binge Eating Scale (BSE) were divided into one of two groups; Obese Binge (O-B) and Obese Non-binge (O-NB). Energy intake was assessed using combined laboratory energy intake measures and 24-h dietary recall procedures. Liking and wanting were assessed using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant association between overall energy consumed, and energy consumed from snack foods under laboratory and free-living conditions. O-B exhibited a greater preference for sweet snack foods in their laboratory and free-living eating behavior. These findings were supported by greater laboratory-based measures of wanting and craving for this food type in O-B. In addition, O-B consumed significantly more energy than their estimated daily energy requirements in the laboratory suggesting that they over-consumed compared to O-NB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measurement concordance between laboratory and free-living based energy intake supports the validity of laboratory-based test meal methodologies Variation in trait binge eating was associated with increased craving and wanting for high-fat sweet foods and overconsumption in the laboratory. These findings support the use of trait binge eating as a common hedonic subtype of obesity and extend the relevance of this subtype to habitual patterns of energy intake.
authors.affiliation: Human Appetite Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blundell
authors.forename: Graham S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Finlayson
keywords: binge eating trait; dietary recall; explicit liking; food reward; hedonic eating; implicit wanting