title: Nibbling and picking in obese patients with Binge Eating Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to examine the clinical utility of nibbling behavior, defined as eating in an unplanned and repetitious manner between meals and snacks without a sense of loss of control, in obese patients with Binge Eating Disorder (BED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred seventeen (N = 217) consecutive, treatment-seeking, obese patients with BED were assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Nibbling frequency was examined in relation to current weight, eating disorder psychopathology and eating patterns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results found that nibbling/picking was not related to body mass index, objective bulimic, subjective bulimic, or overeating episodes, food avoidance, sensitivity to weight gain, or any subscales of the EDE. However, nibbling/picking was significantly related to frequency of morning and afternoon snacking (r = .21, p = .002; r = .27, p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of nibbling/picking behaviors among individuals with BED might not provide clinically significant information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States. Electronic address: robin.masheb@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Masheb
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Roberto
authors.forename: Marney A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D062410:Snacks / Q000523:psychology*; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Binge eating disorder; Eating behaviors; Nibbling; Picking