Sept. 17, 2004 -- Studies have shown that dieting can precipitate eating dis
Sept. 17, 2004 -- Studies have shown that dieting can precipitate eating disorders, especially in young women. Yet worries about binge eating and other risky behaviors that could lead to eating disorders shouldn't stop obese women from trying to lose weight, according to a new study.
Aggressive dieting that requires intentional caloric restriction that can lead to physical and psychological deprivation can increase the risk of bulimic behavior, such as binge eating. But researchers say it's not clear whether those risks apply to obese individuals who wish to lose a modest amount of weight.
In a newly published study, researchers found that obese women who followed one of two assigned diets were no more likely to become binge eaters or display other behaviors associated with eating disorders than nondieters.
Binge eating consists of eating a large amount of food in a brief period and is usually accompanied by a loss of control and subsequent remorse.
Dieting Safe for Most Obese Women
In this study, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the effects of two different diet plans versus not dieting or binge eating, and other eating-related behaviors associated with eating disorders in a group of 123 obese women.
The women were randomly assigned to go on one of the following diets for 40 weeks:
- A 1,000-calorie-per-day diet that included four servings of liquid meal replacements
- A traditional 1,200- to 1,500-calorie-per-day diet of conventional foods
- A nondieting approach that discouraged cutting back on calories
After 20 weeks, the study showed that the women in the meal-replacement, low-calorie group lost an average of 12% of their initial weight, the women in the traditional calorie-cutting group lost almost 8% of their initial weight, and the nondieters lost 0.1% of their weight.
During the first 20 weeks there were no significant differences in the number of women who had binge eating episodes, reports of hunger, or loss of inhibition about their diet.
At week 28, there were significantly more cases of binge eating in the low-calorie meal replacement group compared with the other women. Five women reported at least one episode among the meal-replacement group than the others, but by week 40 there were no differences in the number of cases of binge eating among the three groups.
By week 40, the average weight loss among the dieting groups remained relatively the same as week 20, and the nondieters had gained nearly a pound.
Dieting had been reported to be associated with depression, low self-esteem, and a negative body image. Yet in the study, symptoms of depression declined significantly more in the two dieting groups during the study than in the nondieters.
"The present findings indicate that concerns about the possible adverse effects of dieting should not dissuade overweight and obese individuals from pursuing weight loss," write researcher Thomas Wadden of the weight and eating disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and colleagues. "The health benefits of modest weight loss (and increased physical activity) are compelling."
"Additional studies, however, are needed to assess the effects of dieting in persons (including men), who before treatment have a history of binge eating, depression, personality disorders, substance abuse, or self-injurious behavior," they write. "These may be the very individuals who are vulnerable to experiencing adverse effects of dieting."
