Multiple marginalization, discrimination, and disordered eating among youth aged 10-11.

OBJECTIVE: Although rates of weight discrimination are on-par with racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination, comparatively less work has examined impacts of weight-based discrimination in youth, including on disordered eating. Knowing whether experiences of weight-based discrimination, including in youth with multiply-marginalized identities, are associated with disordered eating could identify vulnerable youth and inform intervention efforts. METHOD: Youth (N = 11,875) ages 10-11 were recruited through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Logistic regressions using cross-sectional data examined discrimination experiences (weight, perceived sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, national origin) and disordered eating (binge-eating, vomiting, weight-gain fear, weight self-worth). Models included race/ethnicity, age, sex, parental income, and degree of elevated weight. Raked poststratification weights were used. RESULTS: Rates of weight-based discrimination (6.2%) were similar to rates of race/ethnicity (4.4%) and sexual orientation discrimination (4.5%). Weight-based discrimination was associated with more disordered eating. Youth reporting multiple experiences of discrimination had significantly increased disordered eating compared to youth who did not report discrimination. DISCUSSION: Weight-based discrimination is common in youth and associated with disordered eating. Youth with elevated weight are more likely to be multiply marginalized and experience disordered eating. These findings suggest discrimination, including weight-based discrimination, is a critical intervention target to prevent and treat eating disorders. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Experiences of discrimination contribute to poorer health; however, weight-based discrimination is relatively understudied. Data from a large sample of youth ages 10-11 showed that youth with elevated weight reported experiencing multiple types of discrimination, and multiply-marginalized youth had increased odds of disordered eating with each additional type of discrimination. Together, this suggests that weight-based discrimination is a critical target to prevent and treat eating disorders, especially in multiply-marginalized youth.

The children of parents who receive treatment for binge-eating disorder experience improvements in disordered eating.

OBJECTIVE: Parental eating disorders are associated with disordered eating behaviors and psychopathology in their children, but it is not known whether parent treatment for binge-eating disorder (BED) is associated with changes in child disordered eating behaviors and weight. Benefits or the "ripple" effect of treatment on untreated family members has been described in the obesity literature but not for BED. METHOD: Participants evaluated for two randomized clinical trials for BED were screened for whether they had children. 76 parents completed baseline assessments about a school-aged child; 62 were randomized to treatment, of whom 41 completed end-of-treatment assessments about their child's eating behaviors and weight (which were not targeted in the parent treatments). RESULTS: Analyses revealed a significant effect of time on children's binge-eating frequency and perceived weight category and a significant effect of parent medication on perceived weight category. Parental change in binge eating was associated significantly with changes in child secretive eating and food hoarding. Parental change in weight was not associated significantly with change in age/sex-normed child BMI percentile, but had some associations with parent-perceived child weight category. CONCLUSIONS: Parent changes during their treatment were associated with changes in their children. Future longitudinal research is needed to examine when disordered eating emerges and clarify critical intervention timing related to children's age and parental BED. Further clinical research is also needed to assess the effectiveness of treating disordered eating at the family level. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Prior cross-sectional work has found that parents with BED are more likely to have children who engage in binge eating compared to parents without eating-disorder psychopathology. This study was an initial exploration of change in children when parents received treatment in randomized controlled trials for BED. In this study, parent changes in binge eating were associated with reduced child secretive eating and food hoarding.

Reliability of the original and brief versions of the Eating Disorder Examination in binge-eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Psychometric studies evaluating the reliability of eating-disorder assessment among individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED) have been limited. The current study documents the interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview when administered to adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM-5)-defined BED. METHODS: Participants (N = 56) were adults seeking treatment for BED in the context of clinical trials testing pharmacological and psychological treatments. Doctoral-level, trained, and supervised clinical researchers evaluated eating-disorder psychopathology using the EDE interview and audio-recorded the interview. A second doctoral-level, trained, and supervised clinical researcher, who did not conduct the initial assessment, coded eating-disorder psychopathology using the audio recording. RESULTS: Agreement among raters on the number of binge-eating episodes was near perfect. There was excellent interrater reliability for nearly all scales of the EDE interview. Agreement among raters for behavioral indicators of loss of control and marked distress regarding binge eating ranged from moderate to perfect. Internal consistency was variable for all scales, ranging from unacceptable to good. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the EDE can be administered reliably by multiple interviewers to assess adults with BED. However, internal consistency was mostly subpar. Tests of reliability and other psychometric properties (e.g., validity) in other patient groups such as children with BED are warranted.

The Relationship of Self-identified Weight Status With Perceived Mental and Physical Health.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether individuals with higher weight (body mass index in the overweight or obesity range) self-identified as having overweight or obesity (Ow/Ob). The study also examined whether self-identifying as having Ow/Ob was associated with perceived mental health, perceived physical health, depression, and eating disorder psychopathology. METHODS: Four study groups were created: those with Ow/Ob who self-identified as having Ow/Ob (Ow/Ob+), those with Ow/Ob who did not self-identify as having Ow/Ob (Ow/Ob-), those with core features of binge-eating disorder (BED) and Ow/Ob, and those with bulimia nervosa (BN) and Ow/Ob. Analyses of variance compared study groups on perceived health, depression, and eating disorder psychopathology. RESULTS: The BED and BN groups were more likely to self-identify as having overweight/obesity compared with Ow/Ob groups without eating disorders. The Ow/Ob- group had the best-perceived health and the lowest levels of eating disorder psychopathology and depression compared with the other groups. The Ow/Ob+ group had better perceived mental health than the BED and BN groups but did not differ significantly from the Ow/Ob- group in perceived mental health. Perceived physical health in the Ow/Ob+ group was better than in the BED group and worse than in the Ow/Ob- group. The Ow/Ob+ group had higher levels of eating disorder psychopathology than the Ow/Ob- group. CONCLUSIONS: Self-identifying as having obesity is associated with eating disorder psychopathology as well as poorer perceived mental and physical health. Providers should engage patients in discussions about their weight with the understanding that self-identifying as having overweight or obesity might indicate the presence of eating disorder psychopathology. Future clinical research should investigate the directionality or possible bidirectionality of this relationship.

Naltrexone/bupropion for binge-eating disorder: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder associated with obesity. Few evidence-based treatments exist for BED, particularly pharmacological options. This study tested the efficacy of naltrexone/bupropion for BED. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial tested naltrexone/bupropion for BED with and without obesity. Eighty-nine patients (70.8% women, 69.7% White, mean age 45.7 y, mean BMI 35.1 kg/m2 , 77.5% with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 ) were randomized to placebo (n = 46) or naltrexone/bupropion (n = 43), with randomization stratified by obesity status and gender; 92.1% completed post-treatment assessments. RESULTS: Mixed models of binge-eating frequency revealed significant reductions that did not differ significantly between naltrexone/bupropion and placebo. Logistic regression of binge-eating remission rates revealed that naltrexone/bupropion and placebo did not differ significantly. Obesity status did not predict, or moderate, binge-eating outcomes considered either continuously or categorically. Mixed models revealed that naltrexone/bupropion was associated with significantly greater percentage weight loss than placebo. Logistic regression revealed that naltrexone/bupropion had significantly higher rates of attaining ≥5% weight loss than placebo (27.9% vs. 6.5%). Obesity status did not predict or moderate weight-loss outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Naltrexone/bupropion did not demonstrate effectiveness for reducing binge eating relative to placebo but showed effectiveness for weight reduction in patients with BED. Obesity status did not predict or moderate medication outcomes.

School absenteeism and impairment associated with weight bullying.

INTRODUCTION: Many children experience weight-based bullying (WB), when individuals are treated poorly or demeaned because of weight. WB has negative mental and physical health consequences. The current study examined how children's experiences of different forms of WB (verbal, social, physical, cyber) were associated with impaired functioning in school, social life, and family life. METHODS: Data were collected in Spring 2021. Participants (N = 224) were parents of a school-aged child and lived in the United States. Sixty percent of parents were mothers and 72% of parents self-identified as White. They completed surveys regarding weight, eating, and bullying. RESULTS: Social and cyber WB were associated with clinically significant impairment for both children and parents. Children who experienced social and physical WB were more likely to skip school, whereas physical and cyber WB were associated with skipping a particular class. All forms of bullying were associated with skipping gym class. Social and cyber WB were associated with isolating. Cyber WB was associated with all disordered eating behaviors. In addition, physical WB was associated with binge eating, social WB was associated with purging, and verbal WB was associated with secretive eating. DISCUSSION: Victims of WB experience impairment in school, social life, and family life, absenteeism, and disordered eating. It is essential to develop approaches to address WB in its various forms to identify strategies for reducing and preventing WB across various levels of influence, including peer groups, schools, and families.

Naltrexone plus bupropion combination medication maintenance treatment for binge-eating disorder following successful acute treatments: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Certain treatments have demonstrated acute efficacy for binge-eating disorder (BED) but there is a dearth of controlled research examining pharmacotherapies as maintenance treatments for responders to initial interventions. This gap in the literature is particularly critical for pharmacotherapy for BED which is associated with relapse following discontinuation. The current study tested the efficacy of naltrexone/bupropion maintenance treatment amongst responders to acute treatments for BED. METHODS: Prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled single-site trial, conducted August 2017-December 2021, tested naltrexone/bupropion as maintenance treatment for responders to acute treatments with naltrexone/bupropion and/or behavioral weight-loss therapy for BED with comorbid obesity. Sixty-six patients (84.8% women, mean age 46.9, mean BMI 34.9 kg/m2) who responded to acute treatments were re-randomized to placebo (N = 34) or naltrexone/bupropion (N = 32) for 16 weeks; 86.3% completed posttreatment assessments. Mixed models and generalized estimating equations comparing maintenance treatments (naltrexone/bupropion v. placebo) included main and interactive effects of acute treatments. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat binge-eating remission rates following maintenance treatments were 50.0% (N = 17/34) for placebo and 68.8% (N = 22/32) for naltrexone/bupropion. Placebo following response to acute treatment with naltrexone/bupropion was associated with significantly decreased probability of binge-eating remission, increased binge-eating frequency, and no weight loss. Naltrexone/bupropion following response to acute treatment with naltrexone/bupropion was associated with good maintenance of binge-eating remission, low binge-eating frequency, and significant additional weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients with BED with co-occurring obesity who have good responses to acute treatment with naltrexone/bupropion should be offered maintenance treatment with naltrexone/bupropion.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge-eating disorder for non-responders to initial acute treatments: Randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Certain treatments have demonstrated acute efficacy for binge-eating disorder (BED) but many patients who receive "evidence-based" interventions do not derive sufficient benefit. Given the dearth of controlled research examining treatments for patients who fail to respond to initial interventions, this study tested the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with BED who do not respond to initial acute treatments. METHODS: Prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled single-site trial, conducted August 2017-December 2021, tested 16-weeks of therapist-led CBT for non-responders to initial treatment (naltrexone/bupropion and/or behavioral therapy) for BED with obesity. Thirty-one patients (mean age 46.3 years, 77.4% women, 80.6% White, mean BMI 38.99 kg/m2 ) who were non-responders to initial acute treatments were randomized to CBT (N = 18) or no-CBT (N = 13), in addition to continuing double-blinded pharmacotherapy. Independent assessments were performed at baseline, throughout treatment, and posttreatment; 83.9% completed posttreatment assessments. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat remission rates were significantly higher for CBT (61.1%; N = 11/18) than no-CBT (7.7%; N = 1/13). Mixed models of binge-eating frequency (assessed using complementary methods) converged revealing a significant interaction between CBT and time and a significant main effect of CBT. Binge-eating frequency decreased significantly with CBT but did not change significantly with no-CBT. Since only four patients received behavioral treatment during the acute treatments, we performed "sensitivity-type" analyses restricted to the 27 patients who received pharmacotherapy during the acute treatment and found the same pattern of findings for CBT versus no-CBT. CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients with BED who fail to respond to initial pharmacological treatments should be offered CBT. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Even with leading evidence-based treatments for binge-eating disorder, many patients do not derive sufficient benefit. Almost no controlled research has examined treatments for patients who fail to respond to initial interventions. This study found that that cognitive-behavioral therapy was effective for patients with binge-eating disorder who did not respond to initial interventions, with 61% achieving abstinence.

Reframing How Providers Advocate for Adolescent Well-Being in Body Image, Eating, and Weight.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period when youth are vulnerable to messages that promote unrealistic body shapes and a culture of weight-based stigma. Adolescents' vulnerability is reflected in high prevalence of body dissatisfaction among adolescents of all genders,1-3 which can lead to negative mental health consequences including disordered eating and depression.4,5 Importantly, body concerns are compounded among adolescents with higher weights who are more likely to experience weight-based victimization and internalize weight-based stigma compared with adolescents with lower weights.6,7 Health care providers have an opportunity to advocate for well-being of adolescent patients by providing nonstigmatizing messages regarding body image, eating, and weight. While body image prevention programs emphasize the need to promote positive body image and awareness of weight-based victimization, clinical guidelines instead focus on preventing or treating conditions (ie, obesity or eating disorders). Yet, adolescents' well-being would benefit from weight-inclusive, positive body image messages. Providers can model the importance of prioritizing positive body image messages by spending time discussing body image through a positive rather than problem-focused lens. We propose an advocacy framework for health care providers to support adolescents' body image and to reduce the impact of weight bias across 4 settings: the clinic, social media, adolescents' homes, and school.

Loss of control in binge-eating disorder: Fear and resignation.

OBJECTIVE: Binge-eating disorder involves overeating while feeling a loss of control (LOC). Emotions around LOC appear to vary; some patients fear LOC whereas others feel powerless or "resigned" to LOC. This study examined differences in psychopathology among treatment-seeking patients with binge-eating disorder categorized with fear of LOC, resignation to LOC, and no fear/resignation of LOC. METHOD: Doctoral research clinicians administered diagnostic and semistructured interviews to characterize psychopathology and establish a diagnosis of binge-eating disorder in participants (N = 382). The interview assessed fear of LOC in the past month. Further queries assessed whether, in the absence of fear of LOC, patients were resigned to LOC or had no fear/resignation. RESULTS: Patients with fear of LOC and resigned to LOC endorsed significantly greater global eating-disorder psychopathology than patients with no fear/resignation. Patients with fear of LOC reported greater distress about binge eating and greater depression than those with no fear/resignation. Patients resigned to LOC reported significantly more frequent binge-eating episodes than those with fear of LOC and no fear/resignation. Black individuals and men were more likely to report no fear/resignation than other demographic groups. DISCUSSION: This study describes a novel clinical aspect of binge-eating disorder: resignation to LOC. Findings highlight the importance of including anticipatory cognitive-affective experiences in treatment formulations and planning. Future research should examine co-occurrence of these experiences and their association with impairment. Future research should also examine how fear of LOC and resignation to LOC change during treatment and whether they predict or moderate treatment outcomes. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Adults with binge-eating disorder have anticipatory cognitive-affective experiences about loss of control (LOC) over eating (i.e., fear of LOC, resigned to LOC, no fear nor resignation of LOC). Individuals who experience fear of LOC and those who are resigned to LOC had more severe psychopathology than those without fear/resignation. Binge-eating disorder has the highest prevalence of the eating disorders; thus, findings have high public significance in guiding clinicians' treatment planning.

Naltrexone-Bupropion and Behavior Therapy, Alone and Combined, for Binge-Eating Disorder: Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Binge-eating disorder, the most prevalent eating disorder, is a serious public health problem associated with obesity, psychiatric and medical comorbidities, and functional impairments. Binge-eating disorder remains underrecognized and infrequently treated, and few evidence-based treatments exist. The authors tested the effectiveness of naltrexone-bupropion and behavioral weight loss therapy (BWL), alone and combined, for binge-eating disorder comorbid with obesity. METHODS: In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted from February 2017 to February 2021, using a 2×2 balanced factorial design, 136 patients with binge-eating disorder (81.6% women; mean age, 46.5 years; mean BMI, 37.1) were randomized to one of four 16-week treatments: placebo (N=34), naltrexone-bupropion (N=32), BWL+placebo (N=35), or BWL+naltrexone-bupropion (N=35). Overall, 81.7% of participants completed independent posttreatment assessments. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat binge-eating remission rates were 17.7% in the placebo group, 31.3% in the naltrexone-bupropion group, 37.1% in the BWL+placebo group, and 57.1% in the BWL+naltrexone-bupropion group. Logistic regression of binge-eating remission revealed that BWL was significantly superior to no BWL, and that naltrexone-bupropion was significantly superior to placebo, but there was no significant interaction between BWL and medication. Mixed models of complementary measures of binge-eating frequency also indicated that BWL was significantly superior to no BWL. The rates of participants attaining 5% weight loss were 11.8% in the placebo group, 18.8% in the naltrexone-bupropion group, 31.4% in the BWL+placebo group, and 38.2% in the BWL+naltrexone-bupropion group. Logistic regression of 5% weight loss and mixed models of percent weight loss both revealed that BWL was significantly superior to no BWL. Mixed models revealed significantly greater improvements for BWL than no BWL on secondary measures (eating disorder psychopathology, depression, eating behaviors, and cholesterol and HbA1c levels). CONCLUSIONS: BWL and naltrexone-bupropion were associated with significant improvements in binge-eating disorder, with a consistent pattern of BWL being superior to no BWL.

Associations between average step counts, variability in step counts and nonhomeostatic eating.

PURPOSE: Nonhomeostatic drives (e.g., reward and negative emotion) for eating are associated with weight gain over time. Higher average and lower intraindividual variability in physical activity (PA) levels are positively associated with health and weight outcomes, but have not been evaluated in relation to nonhomeostatic eating. The aim of this paper is to examine the associations between PA and nonhomeostatic drives for eating. The hypotheses were that average levels of and consistency in PA would be negatively correlated with nonhomeostatic eating. METHODS: Adult participants (N = 432) were recruited online and asked to report objectively measured PA using commercially available PA monitors for the previous 7 days and to complete self-report measures of reward-driven and emotional eating. RESULTS: Average daily steps (M = 6519.36) were negatively associated with emotional eating, but were not significantly related to reward-driven eating. Intraindividual variability in steps (M = 2209.85) was not associated with either type of nonhomeostatic eating. Adjusting for relevant covariates (e.g., age, BMI, gender), average daily step count was negatively associated with emotional eating (p = 0.01) but not reward-driven eating (p = 0.31) and variability in step counts was positively associated with reward-driven eating (p = 0.04) but not emotional eating (p = 0.52). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that greater average levels and lower variability in PA are related to lower nonhomeostatic eating; thus, complex associations between PA and eating exist, and may impact weight and outcomes of treatment related to eating and weight. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, cross-sectional correlation study.

Digital self-harm is associated with disordered eating behaviors in adults.

PURPOSE: Eating-disorder psychopathology is associated with self-harm behaviors. With much time spent and many social interactions taking place online, self-cyberbullying has emerged as a new form of self-harm that is digital. The current study examined digital self-harm in adults and its associations with eating-disorder psychopathology and behaviors. METHODS: Participants were adults (N = 1794) who completed an online cross-sectional survey. Participants reported whether they had ever posted mean things about themselves online, whether they had ever anonymously bullied themselves online and completed measures of eating-disorder psychopathology and disordered eating behaviors. RESULTS: Digital self-harm was reported by adults across demographic characteristics and across the lifespan, although there were some significant differences in demographic characteristics associated with reported digital self-harm. Participants who engaged in digital self-harm were younger than those denying digital self-harm. Eating-disorder psychopathology and disordered eating behaviors were significantly higher among individuals reporting digital self-harm compared with age-matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to examine digital self-harm among adults and the first study to examine associations of digital self-harm with eating-disorder psychopathology and disordered eating behaviors. Importantly, digital self-harm is reported by adults and therefore is not limited to youth. Our findings that digital self-harm is associated with disordered eating suggests that digital self-harm is a clinically significant topic that needs further research to inform clinical practice and clinical research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-controlled analytic studies.

Conceptual Application of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Victims of Bullying.

Bullying is a critical pediatric public health problem; estimates across diverse methodologies generally indicate that roughly 36% of youth are bullied. Although policy initiatives aim to address the universal prevention of bullying, and school-level secondary prevention programs aim to reduce the occurrence of bullying, tertiary prevention and intervention programs that mitigate the negative consequences experienced by victims of bullying remain an understudied need. The nature of bullying (that it occurs as events, leaves children feeling unsafe, and engenders emotional distress) and the association of bullying with posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth suggests that trauma treatment for bullying is promising. This manuscript presents the rationale for treating victims of bullying with trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), describes the components of TF-CBT, and discusses how to use TF-CBT specifically for bullying. Conducting research on treatment outcomes when using TF-CBT for bullying is critical to evaluate its efficacy and effectiveness in this group. Behavioral clinical trials would provide evidence for whether TF-CBT reduces the mental health harm experienced by youth victims of bullying. This evidence is an essential step to address the public health problem of bullying because the scientific literature currently does not have a well-established individual-level treatment for victims of bullying that mental health providers in diverse settings can deliver, despite individuals' beliefs that health care providers are important sources of help for youth who have been bullied.

Examination of night eating and loss-of-control eating following bariatric surgery.

PURPOSE: Post-operative loss-of-control (LOC)-eating is a negative prognostic indicator for long-term outcomes following bariatric surgery. Emerging research suggests that night eating might also be associated with poorer post-operative outcomes. This study examined the co-occurrence and clinical features of night eating in patients with LOC-eating following bariatric surgery. METHODS: Participants were 131 adults who sought treatment for eating/weight concerns 6 months following sleeve gastrectomy. The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview (Bariatric-Surgery-Version) assessed LOC-eating, regular night eating (at least weekly), and eating-disorder psychopathology. Participants completed the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: Approximately, 15% met screening criteria for night-eating syndrome based on the NEQ. Greater NEQ scores were associated significantly with race, lower percent total weight loss (%TWL), and greater EDE, BDI-II, and PSQI scores. Similar results were observed when comparing groups with regular night eating (21.4%) versus without (78.6%); adjusting for race and %TWL revealed similar findings. DISCUSSION: In post-bariatric patients with LOC-eating, 15% likely had night-eating syndrome and 21.4% engaged in regular night-eating behavior. The co-occurrence of LOC-eating and regular night eating following sleeve gastrectomy may represent a more severe subgroup with elevated psychopathology, poorer sleep and %TWL. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Does your past define you? How weight histories are associated with child eating-disorder psychopathology.

PURPOSE: To examine how parents' and adolescents' weight histories were associated with parents' approach to eating/weight-related parenting and children's eating-disorder behaviors. METHODS: Participants were 502 parents (69.3% mothers, 30.7% fathers) of children 12-16 years old who completed an online survey. Parents reported their own and their child's weight status during childhood and adolescence. Parents' and children's weight histories were categorized as "weight loss," "weight stability," or "weight gain" and were examined in relation to feeding practices and eating-disorder psychopathology. RESULTS: Parents with a history of weight gain had greater personal eating-disorder psychopathology and more concerns about their child's weight than parents with weight stability or loss. They also reported greater parental overvaluation (judgment of themselves as parents according to their child's weight/shape). Children with a history of weight loss or gain were more likely to have eating-disorder behaviors than those with stable weight. Analyses revealed that results largely persisted after adjusting for child BMI-z. CONCLUSIONS: Both parent and child weight gain between childhood and adolescence were associated with eating-disorder psychopathology, eating/weight-related parenting, and feeding practices. Pediatricians and clinicians should assess weight history when considering risk for eating disorders and obesity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-controlled analytic studies.

Preoccupation in bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and higher weight.

OBJECTIVE: Preoccupation (excessive and constant thoughts) about shape/weight and food/eating is thought to be prominent in individuals with eating disorders but has received much less research than overt behavioral features. This study examined the significance and distinctiveness of different foci of preoccupation in individuals categorized with different forms of eating disorders and in individuals with higher weight. METHOD: Participants (N = 1,363) completed a web-based survey with established measures of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression. The current study compared preoccupation among individuals with core features of bulimia nervosa (BN; n = 144), binge-eating disorder (BED; n = 576), anorexia nervosa (AN; n = 48), and higher body weight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25) without eating-disorder features (higher weight [HW]; n = 595). Associations of each type of preoccupation with other eating-disorder psychopathology and depression were examined both between and within study groups. RESULTS: Preoccupation with shape/weight and with food/eating showed a graded pattern of statistically significant differences: AN and BN had higher preoccupation than BED, which was higher than HW. Within BN, BED, and AN study groups, correlation magnitudes of shape/weight and food/eating preoccupation with eating-disorder psychopathology and depression did not differ significantly. Within the HW group, shape/weight preoccupation was significantly more strongly correlated than food/eating preoccupation with overvaluation, body dissatisfaction, and depression. DISCUSSION: The preoccupation cognitive style, as well as focus, appears associated with other facets of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression. If results are confirmed among individuals with formal diagnoses, clinicians addressing maladaptive cognitions in cognitive-behavioral therapy should consider the role of preoccupation. Future research should investigate whether preoccupation predicts or moderates eating disorder treatment outcomes.

Physical activity changes during behavioral weight loss treatment by Latinx patients with obesity with and without binge eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This secondary analysis examined physical activity (PA) changes and their prognostic significance among Latinx patients with obesity, with and without binge eating disorder (BED), who participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial testing the addition of orlistat to behavioral weight-loss (BWL) treatment in a "real-world" clinical setting. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial at a community mental health center serving economically disadvantaged Spanish-speaking-only Latinx patients, 79 patients with obesity (40 with BED and 39 without BED) received BWL treatment and were randomized to orlistat or placebo. PA, weight, depression, and binge eating were assessed at baseline, posttreatment (end of treatment [4 months]), and the 6-month follow-up (10 months after baseline). RESULTS: PA was low at baseline (9.3% categorized as "active"), increased during treatment (32.9% categorized as "active" at posttreatment), and declined from posttreatment to the 6-month follow-up (28.2% classified as "active"). At baseline, PA was lower among patients with BED than those without BED. Changes in PA during and after treatment did not differ by BED status or medication condition. PA change was associated with reduced depression but not weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Latinx patients with obesity receiving BWL treatment achieved significant, albeit modest, increases in PA. Although PA changes were not associated with weight loss, they were associated with reduced depression. Identifying methods to increase PA further is necessary.

Double trouble? Associations of parental substance use and eating behaviors with pediatric disordered eating.

OBJECTIVE: Comorbidity between substance use disorders and eating disorders is common and related to severity of psychopathology. Parents' eating disorder or substance use disorder have been examined independently and appear to be related to psychopathology in their children. However, no prior work has examined whether co-occurring substance use and eating disorder behaviors in parents relate to eating-disorder psychopathology and weight in their children. METHOD: Participants (N = 435) were parents who completed an online cross-sectional survey. Parents reported their personal substance use and eating-disorder behaviors. Relationships between parental substance use (SUD), parental binge eating (ED), and co-occurring parental substance use and binge eating (SUDxED) with child eating-disorder psychopathology and weight were examined using linear regression. Parent age and sex, child age and sex, parent impulsivity and parent depression scores were included as covariates in analyses. RESULTS: Greater severity of co-occurring parental SUDxED behavior was associated with greater child eating-related psychopathology, including child binge eating and child purging. Additionally, greater parental binge eating (ED) alone was associated with greater child binge eating and overeating. Parental SUD and/or ED behavior were not related to child weight. Child age did not moderate relationships between parent SUDxED behaviors and child binge eating or overeating. DISCUSSION: Overall, parents with greater co-occurring substance use and eating disorder behaviors had children with more severe eating-disorder psychopathology. Clinicians working with families, and those seeking to prevent pediatric eating-related problems, should consider assessing and addressing parents' psychopathology to improve prevention and treatment efforts.

Psychiatric comorbidity as predictor and moderator of binge-eating disorder treatment outcomes: an analysis of aggregated randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in binge-eating disorder (BED) but effects on treatment outcomes are unknown. The current study aimed to determine whether psychiatric comorbidity predicted or moderated BED treatment outcomes. METHODS: In total, 636 adults with BED in randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were assessed prior, throughout, and posttreatment by doctoral research-clinicians using reliably-administered semi-structured interviews, self-report measures, and measured weight. Data were aggregated from RCTs testing cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral weight loss, multi-modal (combined pharmacological plus cognitive-behavioral/behavioral), and/or control conditions. Intent-to-treat analyses (all available data) tested comorbidity (mood, anxiety, 'any disorder' separately) as predictors and moderators of outcomes. Mixed-effects models tested comorbidity effects on binge-eating frequency, global eating-disorder psychopathology, and weight. Generalized estimating equation models tested binge-eating remission (zero binge-eating episodes during the past month; missing data imputed as failure). RESULTS: Overall, 41% of patients had current psychiatric comorbidity; 22% had mood and 23% had anxiety disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity did not significantly moderate the outcomes of specific treatments. Psychiatric comorbidity predicted worse eating-disorder psychopathology and higher binge-eating frequency across all treatments and timepoints. Patients with mood comorbidity were significantly less likely to remit than those without mood disorders (30% v. 41%). Psychiatric comorbidity neither predicted nor moderated weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric comorbidity was associated with more severe BED psychopathology throughout treatment but did not moderate outcomes. Findings highlight the need to improve treatments for BED with psychiatric comorbidities but challenge perspectives that combining existing psychological and pharmacological interventions is warranted. Treatment research must identify more effective interventions for BED overall and for patients with comorbidities.