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This study investigated the degree to which facets of impulsiveness predicted future binge eating and problem gambling, 2 theorized forms of behavioral addiction. Participants were 596 women and 406 men from 4 age cohorts randomly recruited from a Canadian province. Participants completed self-report measures of 3 facets of impulsiveness (negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of persistence), binge-eating frequency, and problem-gambling symptoms. Impulsiveness was assessed at baseline, and assessments of binge eating and problem gambling were followed up after 3 years. Weighted data were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial and Poisson regression models. We found evidence of transdiagnostic and disorder-specific predictors of binge eating and problem gambling. Negative urgency emerged as a common predictor of binge eating and problem gambling among women and men. There were disorder-specific personality traits identified among men only: High lack-of-persistence scores predicted binge eating and high sensation-seeking scores predicted problem gambling. Among women, younger age predicted binge eating and older age predicted problem gambling. Thus, there are gender differences in facets of impulsiveness that longitudinally predict binge eating and problem gambling, suggesting that treatments for these behaviors should consider gender-specific personality and demographic traits in addition to the common personality trait of negative urgency.

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Objective We describe and compare eating disorder (ED) psychopathology prevalence in Canadian females and males across five age groups. Method This secondary data analysis study used the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) to assess ED psychopathology in 1,316 Alberta community‐based female and male participants, aged 15 to 71. Results Overall, 15.3% of female and 8.2% of male participants reported clinically‐significant ED disturbances. Female participants reported greater global ED psychopathology than male participants, except older men and women aged 65–71, who reported similar, relatively low levels of global ED psychopathology. Women aged 65–71 endorsed less global ED psychopathology than younger females. More females than males reported regular binge eating and self‐induced vomiting, whereas other ED behaviors were endorsed at similar rates. Discussion This large‐scale study, the first involving a Canadian sample, contributes to a small literature on ED psychopathology in community‐based samples. The finding that 15% of female and 8% of male Albertans aged 15 to 71 endorsed clinically‐significant ED disturbances is concerning; however, women aged 65–71 reported lower ED psychopathology than younger females. Gender and age differences were observed in global ED psychopathology. Routine ED screening of non‐clinical adolescents and adults is warranted to permit prevention and early intervention.

To elucidate similarities and differences between binge eating and a behavioural addiction, this prospective study compared facets of emotion regulation that were associated with problem gambling, the only formally recognised behavioural addiction, and binge eating. Community-based women (N ϭ 202) who engaged in at-risk binge eating (n ϭ 79), at-risk gambling (n ϭ 36), or both (n ϭ 87) completed four online assessments over 6 months. Baseline and 6-month surveys assessed self-reported emotion dysregulation (using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale [DERS] and UPPS-P), binge eating (using the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire), and gambling (using the Problem Gambling Severity Index); abbreviated 2-and 4-month surveys assessed only binge eating and gambling. Binge eating and problem gambling were both associated with emotion dysregulation, and greater positive urgency was correlated with more severe problem gambling but less frequent binge eating. Negative urgency explained no unique variance in binge eating or problem gambling changes over time once other facets of emotion dysregulation (i.e., positive urgency and facets assessed by the DERS) were included. Thus, previous cross-sectional research may have overestimated the association of negative urgency with both binge eating and problem gambling. Overall, these findings suggest that binge eating and problem gambling are associated with common as well as distinct emotion regulation deficits. Public Significance StatementIt is unclear whether binge eating should be considered a behavioural addiction like problem gambling. As both problems tend to involve difficulties with emotion regulation, this study examined similarities and differences in emotion regulation problems experienced by women with binge eating, gambling, or both problems over 6 months. The pattern of results showed that binge eating and problem gambling shared some but not all emotion regulation difficulties, suggesting that binge eating may not be an addiction.