Theoretical development and maintenance models of binge eating

Numerous conceptualizations addressing the onset or persistence of binge-eating behaviors have been proposed within the literature. This chapter provides an overview of a wide range of theories addressing the development or maintenance of binge eating. The models vary across a number of features, and this chapter is generally organized based on these features: (1) the focus on binge eating as an independent behavior versus in conjunction with other eating disorder behaviors (e.g., restriction and purging) or within a certain diagnostic class (e.g., bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder); (2) the explicit association with a specific psychotherapeutic intervention; and (3) the nature of the variables within the model, including cognitive, affective, interpersonal, sociocultural, and/or biological variables. We also acknowledge the range of the types of variables included within each conceptualization reviewed within this chapter. Notably, various risk or maintenance factors are shared across multiple models (e.g., restraint, affect regulation, and self-oriented cognitions), and the more complex conceptualizations often integrate elements or processes from other models.