Embedded within a study on brain
response to food was a comparison of subjective and objective measures of loss
of control (LOC) over eating with actual food intake. Post-hoc analysis of food consumption and
scores on the LOCES (Loss of Control Eating Scale, a new subjective measure of
LOC over eating) were compared within LOC groups defined by spontaneous
self-report, or the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the
diagnostic standard for assessment. The
sample was composed of 10 men and 8 women, all healthy with no
psychopathology. Based on spontaneous self-report
grouping we observed significant differences in the EDE-Q global scores between
lean control and obese control groups (p=0.018) and between obese control and
obese LOC groups (p=0.043). There were also significant differences in LOCES
scores between all groups (p < 0.001).
Based on EDE LOC grouping, there were significant differences in EDE
global score (p = 0.04) and LOCES score (p = 0.055) between all groups. Additionally, based on EDE-Q LOC grouping,
there was a significant increase in preferred food intake in the obese LOC
group compared to the other two groups (p = 0.045), after controlling for
sex. There was no difference in
non-preferred food intake among any of the spontaneous self-report or EDE-Q LOC
groups. Our data demonstrates an
association between objective LOC and subjective LOC as measured by the EDE-Q,
but no association between objective and subjective LOC as measured by LOCES as
reported by Latner et al (2014).
