Relationship of fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption to binge eating symptoms in African American and Hispanic or Latina women

African American (AA) and Hispanic or Latina (HL) women have the highest rates of overweight and obesity of any gender and ethnic groups. Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States and is linked to overweight and obesity. Traditional treatments for BED may not be appropriate or viable for AA and HL women, because they are less likely than whites to seek treatment for psychological conditions and may have less access to healthcare. Improving dietary habits in those with BED or subthreshold BED may reduce binge eating symptoms. The current study investigated the association of fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption to binge eating symptoms in AA and HL women. AA and HL women in the Health Is Power (HIP) study (N = 283) reported fruit and vegetable intake, fat intake, and binge eating symptoms. Women were middle aged (M = 45.8 years, SD = 9.2) and obese (M BMI = 34.5 kg/m2, SD = 7.5). Greater fat consumption was correlated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption (rs = − 0.159, p < 0.01). Higher BMI (rs = 0.209, p < 0.01), and greater fat consumption (rs = 0.227, p < 0.05) were correlated with increased binge eating symptoms. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that for HL women (β = 0.130, p = 0.024), higher BMI (β = 0.148, p = 0.012), and greater fat consumption (β = 0.196, p = 0.001) were associated with increased binge eating symptoms (R2 = 0.086, F(3,278) = 8.715, p < 0.001). Findings suggest there may be a relationship between fat consumption and binge eating symptoms, warranting further study to determine whether improving dietary habits may serve as a treatment for BED in AA and HL women.

► Higher fat consumption was associated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption.
► Greater fat consumption was associated with greater binge eating symptoms.
► A relationship exists between dietary habits and binge eating symptoms.