Research confirms that binge eating has emotional roots

The findings of the research, which was carried out by Professor Buckroyd at the University of Hertfordshire’s Obesity and Eating Disorders Research Unit, will be revealed at a two-day conference on Psychological Responses to Eating Disorders, which will be held at the University’s Fielder Centre on 5 and 6 July.

Professor Buckroyd’s claims that eating behaviour is determined strongly by emotional states have led her to conduct a study among 79 women in the East of England who identified themselves as compulsive eaters to assess their perceptions of why they overeat.

She found that the women’s perceptions of the reasons for their compulsive eating had strong relevance for treatment decisions. 55 of those who joined the group have now decided to undergo therapy for 12 months to address the emotional issues related to their eating behaviour.

“Our research has revealed that the disintegration of society has created stress for people that they cannot manage, so they turn to food,” said Professor Buckroyd.