A naturalistic evaluation of the relation between dietary restraint, the urge to binge, and actual binge eating: a clarification

OBJECTIVE: The current study attempted to characterize the natural course of events linking dietary restraint to urges to binge and actual binge episodes. METHOD: Using preprogrammed, hand-held computers, 39 women with bulimia-spectrum eating disorders monitored ongoing eating episodes, dietary restraint, and binge cravings over a 7-29-day interval. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that restraint was not systematically elevated before binging. However, elevated restraint preceded strong binge cravings. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that dietary restraint may contribute to binge cravings, but may not be a direct antecedent to binge episodes. Such findings are consistent with restraint theory, which suggests that dietary restraint potentiates binging, but does not necessarily trigger its occurrence.