They were not put on a diet at all, they simply received information on healthy eating. All women received the same advice to increase physical activity, especially walking. The women were followed for 40 weeks, with an additional follow-up visit at 65 weeks. The researchers took weekly measures in a variety of areas. These included body weight, episodes of binge eating, depression levels and difficulty sticking with the diet.

The different data from the groups were collected and measured statistically to see if there were any differences in the areas looked at in the study, in particular, if women on a low-calorie diet were more likely to develop a binge eating disorder.

The original belief of the researchers as they went into this study was that the women in the two diet conditions would be more likely than the non-dieting women to lose control of their eating habits. They also thought that the effect would be greater, the more strict the diet. In addition, it was believed that being on a diet would cause the women to feel more...

To their surprise, the results of the research show that being on a diet, even a strict one, did not increase the chances of binge eating. And the women on a diet reported feeling less depressed, and showed higher self-esteem.
These results are important for determining the right approach to weight loss. Previous studies that showed a link between dieting and eating disorders might not have been designed to apply to women with a lot of weight to lose. The authors conclude "Findings indicate that concerns about the possible adverse effects of dieting should not dissuade overweight and obese individuals from pursuing weight loss." (Wadden et al., 2004). Today, when so many North Americans are overweight and obese, finding a good balance between what is best for both physical and psychological health, is important.

Bibliography

Wadden, T., et al. (2004, September). "Dieting and the development of eating disorders in obese women: results of a randomized, controlled trial." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,…