title: Does short-term fasting promote pathological eating patterns?
abstract: Fasting, or going a significant amount of time without eating, has been identified as a risk factor for the development of pathological eating patterns. Findings from several studies examining the impact of fasting on subsequent eating behaviors have been mixed. The current study recruited college students to record food intake, episodes of binge eating, and use of compensatory behaviors before, throughout, and following a 24-hour fast. Participants attended an initial appointment in which they completed measures of dietary restraint and disinhibition and received instructions on self-monitoring and fasting. Participants (N=122) self-monitored their eating behaviors for 96 h, including a 24-hour fasting period. Participants did not demonstrate significant increases in disordered eating behaviors following the fast (e.g., objective binge episodes, self-defined excessive eating or compensatory behavior use). Baseline disinhibition predicted excessive eating as well as objective binge episodes both before and after fasting. Altogether, findings have implications for research seeking to further understand how fasting may contribute to the development of pathological eating patterns; specifically, it seems that the ED risk associated with fasting is derived from the behavior's interaction with other individual difference variables.
authors.affiliation: University of Albany, State University of New York, 399 Social Sciences Building, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Stratton Hall 119, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Electronic address: kes374@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schaumberg
authors.affiliation: University of Albany, State University of New York, 399 Social Sciences Building, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States. Electronic address: drewa@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: University of Albany, State University of New York, 399 Social Sciences Building, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States. Electronic address: eereilly@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: University of Albany, State University of New York, 399 Social Sciences Building, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States. Electronic address: lmanderson@albany.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005215:Fasting / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Binge eating; Disinhibition; Eating disorders; Fasting