Table 2.

Summary of studies assessing the face validity of binge eating constructs

Reference	Sample	n	% female	Age	BMI	Procedure	Summary of main findings
Adults
10	TS: family practice patients	243	100	26.6±5.5	NR	Participants completed EDE and a subset defined binge eating in their own words	83% of EDE-defined OBE labeled as binges 42% of EDE-defined SBE labeled as binges 19% of EDE-defined OO labeled as binges 13% of EDE-defined SO labeled as binges 93% of participants required large amount of food to classify binge episodes 90% of participants required LOC to classify binge episodes
9	TS: bariatric surgery	197	100	39.8±11.2	43.0±6.7	Eating and Exercise Examination interview for quantity/quality of eating episodes	LOC predicted self-reported binge eating (B=.16, t=5.19***) Of women who self-reported binge eating: 75% reported associated LOC; 25% did not report associated LOC; 61% reported consuming ≥6 or more servings of food; 19% reported consuming 1–4 servings of food Of women who self-reported overeating, 22% reported associated LOC but did not define episodes as binge eating
114	NTS: college students	99	76.8	25.5	NR	Vignettes of a model eating varied according to quantity, duration, and LOC, and rated on binge scales	Larger size [t(95)=340.05***] and LOC [t(98)=119.10***] predicted judgements of episodes as binges
14	NTS: community-based	48	100	38.9±11.4	34.6	Participants recorded type/amount of food and duration of eating episodes for 3 weeks; peer and dietitian judges rated randomly selected eating episodes as binges or non-binges	Peer judges more likely than dietitians to label eating episodes as binges for participants with full- (z=4.61***) and subthreshold BED (z=3.09**) Peer κ=.39 Dietitian κ=.44 Peer vs. dietitian κ=.40–.48 Participants vs. peer and dietitian κ=.07–.19
15	NTS: community-based with BED	23	95.7	44.7±10.9	NR	Vignettes of a model eating varied according to quantity, duration, and LOC, and rated on binge scales	Episodes involving a large quantity of food [F(1,80)=374.93**] or LOC [F(1,80)=109.90***] rated as more binge-like Episodes rated as more binge-like if a large amount of food consumed when LOC was present [F(1,80)=3.95*] Participants with BED rated vignettes involving large amounts of food higher on binge scale compared to undergraduates [F(2,80)=4.92**]
	NTS: mental health professionals	34	50.0	30.2±2.2
	NTS: college students	25	88.0	40.2±8.1
16	NTS: college students sample 1	238	70.0	20.2±3.0	22.3±3.7	Videotaped eating episodes varied according to model’s gender and quantity of food, and rated as binges/non-binges	Larger size predicted judgements of episodes as binges [Wald χ2(1)=21.22***]
	NTS: college students sample 2	139	66.0	19.8±2.8	22.4±3.0
	NTS: college students sample 3	83	59.0	20.6±3.7	23.0±3.4
11	NTS: college students	969	64.0	Range=18–40+	NR	Participants asked to define binge eating in their own words	~10–25% of participants endorsed LOC as necessary to define a binge; ~65–75% identified quantity of food consumed as necessary to define a binge Individuals with BED identified LOC in defining a binge more frequently than those without BED [χ2(1)=6.57*] Males and females with and without BED were similarly likely to identify quantity in defining a binge
8	NTS: community-based with BED	60	100	42.7±9.9	36.2±8.4	Participants asked to define binge eating in their own words and independent raters coded responses for presence/absence of binge features	82% of participants included LOC in binge eating definition 43% of participants included eating a large amount of food binge eating definition
Youth
12	NTS: school-based	259	41.7	14.7	NR	Participants asked to define binge eating in their own words	72.2% of participants defined binge eating exclusively in terms of quantity of food eaten 12.9% of participants defined binge eating in terms of quantity, duration, and LOC
13	NTS: community-based adolescent/mother dyads	19	100	14.5±1.2	NR	Focus groups with adolescents who reported LOC eating via phone screen	Few participants directly endorsed LOC or binge eating Binge eaters described as “lacking self control” LOC associated with eating sneakily, negative affective antecedents, short-term relief

Abbreviations: BMI=body mass index (kg/m²); TS=treatment-seeking; NR=not reported; EDE=Eating Disorders Examination; OBE=objective binge eating; SBE=subjective binge eating; OO=objective overeating; SO=subjective overeating; LOC=loss of control; NTS=non-treatment seeking; BED=binge eating disorder

^*p≤.05

^**p<.01

^***p<.001