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. 2014 Sep 1;2(4):545-559.
doi: 10.1177/2167702614521794.

Ovarian Hormone Influences on Dysregulated Eating: A Comparison of Associations in Women with versus without Binge Episodes

Kelly L Klump  1 , Sarah E Racine  2 , Britny Hildebrandt  1 , S Alexandra Burt  1 , Michael Neale  3 , Cheryl L Sisk  4 , Steven Boker  5 , Pamela K Keel  6
Affiliations

Ovarian Hormone Influences on Dysregulated Eating: A Comparison of Associations in Women with versus without Binge Episodes

Kelly L Klump et al. Clin Psychol Sci. .

Abstract

Changes in ovarian hormones predict changes in emotional eating across the menstrual cycle. However, prior studies have not examined whether the nature of associations varies across dysregulated eating severity. The current study determined whether the strength and/or nature of hormone/dysregulated eating associations differ based on the presence of clinically diagnosed binge episodes (BEs). Participants included 28 women with BEs and 417 women without BEs who provided salivary hormone samples, ratings of emotional eating, and BE frequency for 45 days. Results revealed stronger associations between dysregulated eating and ovarian hormones in women with BEs as compared to women without BEs. The nature of associations also differed, as progesterone moderated the effects of lower estradiol levels on dysregulated eating in women with BEs only. Although hormone/dysregulated eating associations are present across the spectrum of pathology, the nature of associations may vary in ways that have implications for etiological models and treatment.

Keywords: binge eating; emotional eating; estrogen; ovarian hormones; progesterone.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Changes in Ovarian Hormone Levels and Emotional Eating across the Menstrual Cycle in women with and without BEs
Mean Z Score = the mean of the 5-day rolling averages calculated within subjects, then averaged across participants; Follic = follicular phase; Ovul = ovulatory phase; Mid-lut = mid-luteal phase; Premen = premenstrual phase; T = transition days that are in-between phases. The number of days included in each phase varied by participant based on their cycle length, but the days roughly corresponded to the following (first day of menstrual bleeding = +1; previous day = −1): Follicular = +3 to +12; Ovulatory = −15 to −12; Mid-luteal = −9 to −5; Premenstrual = −3 to +1.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Changes in Ovarian Hormone Levels and Binge Frequencies across the Menstrual Cycle in women with BEs
Mean Z Score = the mean of the 5-day rolling averages calculated within subjects, then averaged across participants; Follic = follicular phase; Ovul = ovulatory phase; Mid-lut = mid-luteal phase; Premen = premenstrual phase; T = transition days that are in-between phases. The number of days included in each phase varied by participant based on their cycle length, but the days roughly corresponded to the following (first day of menstrual bleeding = +1; previous day = −1): Follicular = +3 to +12; Ovulatory = −15 to −12; Mid-luteal = −9 to −5; Premenstrual = −3 to +1.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Interactions between Estradiol and Progesterone in the Prediction of Emotional Eating Scores and Binge Frequencies
Emotional Eating and Binge Frequency Z Score = 5-day rolling average calculated within subjects, then averaged across participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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