Does Restriction Lead to Binge Eating? A Scoping Review on Restrictive Diets in the Development and Maintenance of Binge Eating Disorder

Background The hypothesis that dietary restrictions may trigger the development of binge eating episodes has existed for some time; however, it is unclear whether this association is due to the individual’s developmental environment. Objective To identify, through a scoping review, the leading scientific findings on this topic and outline the existing evidence regarding the relationship between dietary restriction and the development or aggravation of compulsion. Methods This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews through a systematic literature search to identify eligible articles in the PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs, and Web of Science databases, published between 1980 and June 2024, using the (P-, C-, C-) criteria. The study adhered to the guidelines proposed by the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.” Results The screening process resulted in the inclusion of 80 articles, 76 of which were analyzed in detail, and were predominantly observational studies conducted in the United States focusing on adult women. A total of 53 (69.74%) studies found evidence that restrictive diets increase binge eating, especially under conditions of high impulsivity and negative emotions, although 23 (30.26%) studies reported opposite results. Among the rigid diets analyzed, nutrient-control approaches such as low-carb diets and severe calorie restrictions were frequently associated with loss of eating control, whereas flexible approaches showed less adverse impact and better emotional and weight management outcomes. Conclusion This review highlights that restrictive diets are associated with increased binge eating when combined with negative emotional factors. However, it remains unclear whether dietary restriction alone in healthy individuals is directly associated with binge eating.