Gym-going women at risk for binge eating disorder: maladaptive schemas, stress coping, and emotional disturbances

Abstract

Binge eating disorder is characterized by excessive food consumption, which is accompanied by a sense of loss of control and occurs at least once a week. This study compared maladaptive schemas, stress coping strategies and two emotional disorders in two groups of gym-going women (a group at risk for binge eating disorder and a group not at risk) and analyzed which variables were predictors of binge eating disorder risk in this group of women. The variables included as predictors explained 55 % of the risk of BPD: two maladaptive schemas, two coping strategies, one measure of obesity, one psychopathological personal history, one psychopathological family history, and one measure of frequency of gym attendance. The importance of these variables in the genesis and maintenance of binge eating disorder is discussed.