Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by binge eating episodes when individuals feel out-of-control and consume an abnormally large amount of food. Individuals with BED often experience shame or guilt related to binges and typically suffer physical, social and psychological impairment. One model of BED views bingeing as a means of reducing emotional discomfort, in the same way that an addict would turn to drugs or alcohol. This model suggests that individuals with BED have deficits in emotion regulation and turn to bingeing in place of other, more adaptive coping skills. Hormonal studies have found that sex hormones may differentially affect emotion regulation. Notably, there is evidence that estrogens are required to facilitate emotional reactivity, suggesting that females may be more susceptible to disorders of emotion regulation. As there is currently little research examining BED in men, this project will focus on sex differences in emotion regulation and psychopathology in BED. Furthermore, the study will examine a self-help form of therapy that aims to teach emotion regulation skills in order to reduce binge eating. Ultimately, the study will examine whether sex differences in emotion regulation and psychopathology influence the outcome of treatment. This evidence will inform future treatments, hopefully resulting in more targeted therapies and greater recovery rates from BED.