Psychological treatment of binge eating disorder in adults

Kelly R. Theim, Denise E. Wilfley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Binge eating disorder (BED) is currently the most prevalent eating disorder in adults. Adults with BED exhibit higher rates of obesity and specific and general psychopathology than their non-eating disordered counterparts. Current research on the psychological treatment of BED in adults is reviewed, including the rationale behind and empirical support for behavioral weight loss treatment (BWLT) and specialist treatments for BED, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and others potentially warranting further study. Substantial empirical evidence supports the use of CBT and IPT for BED. Less intensive treatments include BWLT, which cannot currently be recommended as a first-line treatment for BED, and guided self-help CBT, which has shown efficacy, at least among individuals with low eating disorder psychopathology. Future research should focus on the effective dissemination of specialist treatments in routine clinical care, the inclusion of diverse participant samples in clinical trials, and investigation of moderators and mediators of treatment outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBinge Eating
Subtitle of host publicationPsychological Factors, Symptoms and Treatment
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Pages185-208
Number of pages24
ISBN (Electronic)9781617281464
ISBN (Print)9781606922422
StatePublished - Mar 10 2009

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