Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Binge Eating Not Just an Issue for Women

It appears that men are just as likely to binge eat as women, as well as to suffer from such associated conditions as depression, stress, and sleeplessness, finds a new study featured in the October 26 online edition of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. According to lead study author Ruth Striegel-Moore, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry at Wesleyan University, the findings point to a need for education and outreach across gender lines, as men may be less likely than women to seek treatment. Of the 24,608 women and 21,743 men completing self-administered health risk assessments, 11.2 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively, reported behavior indicative of binge eating. More about the diagnosis of binge eating can be found in American Psychiatric Publishing’s Developing an Evidence-Based Classification of Eating Disorders, co-edited by Striegel-Moore.

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