Binge eating and identity style in adolescence

The research investigates the relationship between Binge Eating Disorder, investigated with Binge Eating Scale (Gormally, 1982), the tendency to conformism, measured with the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (Gibbons, 1999) and identity styles, investigated with the Identity Style Inventory (Berzonsky, 1992). This study is based on a sample of 450 Italian students. Research has shown that Binge Eating Disorder is more common among female subjects than male subjects. The Binge Eating Disorder is predicted by some dimensions: high levels of conformism relative to behaviors, avoidant identity style and tendency to assume specific commitments. Subjects with BED are characterized by avoidant identity style, while adolescents without BED show an informational identity style and a high tendency to have specific commitments.