A randomized controlled trial for obesity and binge eating disorder: low-energy-density dietary counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy

The present study examined a dietary approach – lowering energy density – for producing weight loss in obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED) who also received cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address binge eating. Fifty consecutive participants were randomly assigned to either a six-month individual treatment of CBT plus a low-energy-density diet (CBT+ED) or CBT plus General Nutrition counseling not related to weight loss (CBT+GN). Assessments occurred at six- and twelve-months. Eighty-six percent of participants completed treatment, and of these, 30% achieved at least a 5% weight loss with rates of binge remission ranging from 55% to 75%. The two treatments did not differ significantly in weight loss or binge remission outcomes. Significant improvements were found for key dietary and metabolic outcomes, with CBT+ED producing significantly better dietary outcomes on energy density, and fruit and vegetable consumption, than CBT+GN. Reductions in energy density and weight loss were significantly associated providing evidence for the specificity of the treatment effect. These favorable outcomes, and that CBT+ED was significantly better at reducing energy density and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption compared to CBT+GN, suggest that low-energy-density dietary counseling has promise as an effective method for enhancing CBT for obese individuals with BED.