Two Forms of Compulsive Consumption: Comorbidity of Compulsive Buying and Binge Eating

Abstract

Several authors have articulated the need for broader theories or models to account for multiple forms of compulsive or addictive consumption. Development of these broader theories requires more information regarding the overlap and interrelationship of specific consumption disorders. Two studies are presented here to examine the comorbidity of compulsive buying and eating disorders involving binge eating. Study 1 found that women diagnosed as having binge eating disorder had significantly greater compulsive buying tendencies than nonbinge eaters of similar weight. Study 2 showed that compulsive buyers were more likely to have engaged in binge eating, had more symptoms characteristic of both binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, and were more likely to be clinically diagnosed as having an eating disorder than a matched control group.