Frequency of binge eating episodes in bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: Diagnostic considerations

OBJECTIVE: In DSM-IV, to be diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) or the provisional diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder (BED), an individual must experience episodes of binge eating is "at least twice a week" on average, for 3 or 6 months, respectively. The purpose of this review was to examine the validity and utility of the frequency criterion for BN and BED. METHOD: Published studies evaluating the frequency criterion were reviewed. RESULTS: Our review found little evidence to support the validity or utility of the DSM-IV frequency criterion of twice a week binge eating; however, the number of studies available for our review was limited. DISCUSSION: A number of options are available for the frequency criterion in DSM-V, and the optimal diagnostic threshold for binge eating remains to be determined.