Binge-Eating episodes in bulimia nervosa: The amount and type of food consumed

Twenty women with bulimia nervosa (binge-eating and vomiting) recorded all food consumption for one week and identified eating episodes that they considered to be a binge. A content analysis including the type and amount of food consumed was performed on 199 binge-eating and 440 nonbinge-eating episodes. The average binge-eating episode was much higher in calories; however, most of these eating episodes involved small amounts of food. The distinguishing characteristic of binge-eating episodes was relatively more snacks and desserts and less fruits and vegetables. The size of binge-eating episodes in bulimia nervosa appears to be much smaller, on average, than previous reports of typical binge eating.