The phenomenon of compulsive overeating in a selected group of professional women

Abstract

Many data have been generated concerning individuals with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. However, few data exist that have explored the phenomenon of compulsive overeating or binge eating. The purpose of this study was to determine the meaning of compulsive overeating, or binge eating, in the lives of adult professional women. Six adult women from the south-east United States were interviewed using an open-ended interview format. Interviews were audio-taped and analysed using the Giorgi (1979) method of phenomenology. Recurrent themes that emerged from data collection included those pertaining to childhood experiences with food, descriptions of the types of food most often eaten during the adult years, eating behaviours in the adult years, perceptions of loss of control, reasons for overeating, emotional consequences of overeating, compensatory behaviours, and prevention strategies. The synthesis of meaning statement elicited was that of a personal struggle to achieve or maintain an acceptable weight and gain mastery over binge eating behaviours. This struggle can be likened to an addictive process in which the individual thinks about food constantly, consciously or unconsciously, and eats compulsively in spite of the consequences.

Changes in eating behaviour following group therapy for women who binge eat: a pilot study

“…Two participants had been unable to maintain previous improvements; both had experienced significant life events in the time period between interviews and identified stress, anxiety, change and isolation as factors. This is congruent with the findings of Lyons (1998), Vanderlinden et al . (2001) and Pendleton et al .…”

“…It appears that little research has been undertaken on the effectiveness of group therapy with obese women who binge eat and compulsively eat, and few specific treatments have been developed for this population. Lyons (1998) recommended the institution of ‘other treatment modalities’ for obesity and binge eating in a study.…”

The feeling of being trapped in and ashamed of one's own body: A qualitative study of women who suffer from eating difficulties

“…The authors demonstrated the importance of the therapist dealing with the individual's ambivalence about recovery and establishing a therapeutic alliance based on goals that are consistent with the patient's personal values. A study by Lyons (1998) illustrated the meaning of binge eating by means of seven characteristic categories based on the participants' lived experiences of compulsive overeating. The categories were labelled as: childhood experiences, descriptions of the types of food most often eaten in the adult years, eating behaviours in the adult years, a perceived lack of control, the reasons for overeating, the emotional consequences of overeating, and compensatory behaviours.…”

Bulimia e transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica: revisão sistemática e metassíntese

“…a) Overweight. 18, 20 We could note that some studies point a strong relationship between personal history of overweight/obesity and eating disorders.…”