Does Negative Affect Mediate the Relationship Between Restriction and Binge Eating? An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study in Women With Binge‐Spectrum Eating Disorders
Devyn R. Riddle, Ege Biçaker, Alexia E. Miller, Vittoria Trolio, Sarah E. RacineABSTRACT
Introduction
Dietary restraint/restriction prospectively predict binge eating longitudinally; however, momentary relationships are mixed. This study examined a combined restriction‐affect regulation model of binge eating, considering whether restriction leads to binge eating when negative affect (NA) is not sufficiently regulated by restriction.
Method
Women ( N = 101) with binge‐spectrum eating disorders (bulimia nervosa [BN], binge eating disorder [BED], anorexia nervosa‐binge eating/purging [AN‐B/P]) completed 14 days of ecological momentary assessment. Participants reported NA and meal skipping five times daily and limiting intake at a meal/snack or binge eating after eating. Mediation models evaluated whether momentary NA mediates the relationship between restriction and subsequent binge eating.
Results
There was a significant indirect effect of meal skipping, but not restriction at a meal/snack, on subsequent binge eating through increased NA. Exploratory moderated mediation analyses found that this indirect effect was significant for BED, but not BN and AN‐B/P.
Discussion
Skipping a meal (but not restriction at a meal/snack) predicted subsequent binge eating indirectly through NA, with some evidence that this occurred only for BED. Future studies should examine conditions under which, and people for whom, momentary restriction predicts binge eating. Results underscore the importance of implementing affect regulation skills in treatment for binge eating.