A survey of binge eating and obesity treatment practices among primary care providers
- 22 March 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Vol. 35 (3), 348-353
- https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.10266
Abstract
Objectives Obesity is an increasingly prevalent condition and many obese individuals binge eat. It is unclear how much knowledge physicians possess regarding binge eating, but the limited existing data suggest that primary care physicians frequently do not identify obesity as a clinical problem. The objective of this study was to examine physician knowledge and treatment recommendations regarding binge eating and obesity. Method A survey on binge eating and obesity assessment and treatment was mailed to 700 licensed physicians. The survey was returned by 272 (38.9%) respondents. Results Greater than 40% of physicians never assessed binge eating. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated “often or always” by 36.2% of physicians and “rarely or never” by 39.7%. The pattern of obesity treatment methods offered by providers was quite different from the pattern of treatment requested by their patients. Physicians who made higher estimates of binge eating prevalence were more likely to make treatment referrals. Discussion In this study, physicians frequently did not assess binge eating. Only a minority of physicians utilize BMI in the assessment and management of obesity. Also, physicians report that the obesity treatments they recommend differ from the treatments patients request of them. © 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 35: 348–353, 2004.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Medical and psychiatric morbidity in obese women with and without binge eatingInternational Journal of Eating Disorders, 2002
- The Continuing Epidemics of Obesity and Diabetes in the United StatesJAMA, 2001
- The Disease Burden Associated With Overweight and ObesityJAMA, 1999
- Are Health Care Professionals Advising Obese Patients to Lose Weight?JAMA, 1999
- Binge status as a predictor of weight loss treatment outcomeInternational Journal of Obesity, 1999
- Weight loss counseling by health care providers.American Journal of Public Health, 1999
- What predicts weight regain in a group of successful weight losers?Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1999
- Binge Eating Disorder Affects Outcome of Comprehensive Very‐Low‐Calorie Diet TreatmentObesity Research, 1994
- Binge eating disorder: A multisite field trial of the diagnostic criteriaInternational Journal of Eating Disorders, 1992
- Binge eating increases with increasing adiposityInternational Journal of Eating Disorders, 1988