When it comes to the implications for research, it should be noted that the present study brings a rather novel array of findings that sheds the light upon the profile of BED-O individuals, their coping tendencies, and their engagement in overeating behaviours. No previous research focused on similar aspects of the BED-O population, and therefore, this research is rather novel and promising. Future research is expected to build on the present study and investigate more specific profiles of the BED-O group. Importantly, future research needs to overcome the limitations of this research. Specifically, future researchers need to ensure an equal number of participants in the BED-O and non-BED- O groups. Otherwise, it will not be certain whether the obtained results are reliable and valid. It is also necessary for future research to use more objective diagnostic procedures for identifying BED-O individuals. For instance, researchers can use clinical interviewing to identify individuals who belong to this group. As mentioned previously, self-report measures are flawed for classifying participants into the two groups, thus requiring a more elaborately made participant recruitment, selection, and categorisation procedures. Still, it should be acknowledged that BED has only recently been recognised in the DSM,
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and thus, reliable diagnostic tools have still not been used consistently in research. For this reason, the present study was unable to use more reliable diagnostic tools.
This research has left at least some questions unanswered. First of all, it is unclear whether the findings can be applied to the broader population of individuals who are obese but do not have diabetes. As mentioned previously, this study’s participants were recruited at a diabetic clinic, and thus, all participants had diabetes. According to Hill- Briggs and Gemmell (2007), people with diabetes require more self-control than obese individuals without diabetes if they are to remain healthy. They do not only need to exercise and restrict their food intake, but must also pay attention to what they are eating. There are many low-calorie foods that individuals with diabetes need to avoid, such as bananas, cooked carrots, and beet (Franz, Boucher, & Evert, 2014). Obese individuals without diabetes are recommended to eat such foods due to their low-calorie level, whereas obese individuals with diabetes should refrain from eating such foods (Mozzaffarain & Ludwig, 2010). If the obese population with diabetes requires more self- control to develop healthy eating habits, then the results of this research cannot be generalised to obese individuals who require lower levels of self-control. Thus, it is unclear whether the presently obtained findings can be applied to the whole clinical context, where practitioners seek to reduce overeating among all types of obese individuals, including both those who do and do not have diabetes.
Second, this research has focused on BED-O and Non-BED-O individuals’ levels of certain maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies, but has not assessed all coping strategies. One coping strategy that can be addressed in future research is pro-active coping. This coping strategy refers to the process of “anticipating potential stressors and
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acting in advance either to prevent them or to mute their impact” (Aspinwall & Tailor, 1997, p.46). Research shows that both obese individuals and individuals with BED have lower levels of pro-active coping (Fluckiger et al., 2011; Puhl & Brownwell, 2013). However, past research did not investigate any potential differences in BED-O and Non- BED-O individuals’ levels of proactive coping. Since this study revealed that BED-O individuals, when compared to Non-BED-O individuals, have lower levels of adaptive coping, it is possible that they will also exhibit lower levels of proactive coping, which is considered as an adaptive coping strategy. Future research should test this possibility.
Some important implications for therapeutic practice that stem from the present research have been outlined in the previous section. However, it is important to try to summarise these so as to get a more coherent picture on what can be done to reduce the risk of BED- O and then further reduce binge eating within the obesity population. Given that this research has recognized that BED-O individuals, when compared to Non-BED-O individuals, display lower levels of self-esteem, self-control, emotion regulation, and stress management, as well as higher levels of impulsivity, it can be advised to continuously assess obese individuals to see the extent to which they display these characteristics. Whenever it is recognized that obese individuals possess these characteristics, they should be identified as possessing the risk factor for the development of BED. Regardless of whether they have already developed BED or are at risk of developing it, the therapy should focus on building self-esteem, self-control, emotion regulation, and stress management skills, while decreasing impulsivity levels. This can be achieved through training sessions, which focus on skills building. Importantly, research reveals that all these skills can be built and guidelines for such processes can be found
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within academic research (e.g., Harris & Graham 1995; Muraven et al., 1999; Tugade & Fredrickson 2007). What is also important to mention is that increasing such skills within BED-O individuals and individuals who are at a risk of developing BED may further lead to the decreased engagement in external and emotional eating. This is especially true for the skills of self-control, as these have been linked to both external and emotional eating in the present research. Thus, building relevant skills may indirectly shield individuals from developing BED-O by reducing the occurrences of overeating behaviours that are known to increase the chances of and further maintain BED.
The second therapeutic recommendation that stems from the present research relates to building coping skills in obese individuals who are at a risk of BED or have already developed it. In particular, present research found that BED-O individuals, when compared to Non-BED-O individuals, display higher levels of emotional coping and lower levels of adaptive, detached, and rational coping. What this implies is that obese individuals should be continuously screened for their coping abilities, therefore identifying individuals who display these coping styles. Once these individuals are recognized, they can be categorized as possessing a risk for developing BED. In order to prevent BED for occurring, these individuals should undergo trainings that build coping skills. A particular focus here should be on reducing emotional and increasing rational and detached coping, although other coping skills can be built as well. Guidelines on building coping skills are existent and can be found elsewhere (e.g., Frydenberg 2004; Funder et al., 2007; Grey et al., 1999;). In case obese individuals have already developed BED, they may also benefit from training.
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Moreover, the results of the present research reveal that maladaptive and adaptive coping levels mediate the relationship between global EI trait and the engagement in emotional eating. What this reveals is that obese individuals with lowered EI and are found to engage in maladaptive coping may be at a particular risk for engaging in emotional eating, which acts as a risk and maintaining factor for BED. Obese individuals with lowered EI levels should therefore also undergo a coping skills training, where they should be taught how to engage in adaptive rather than maladaptive coping. This will strengthen their coping abilities, which may further reduce the tendency to cope with adverse life events and negative emotionality by engaging in disordered eating behaviours, such is emotional eating.
On the basis of the results of this research, it is also possible to predict how the above mentioned mediation models would operate in real-life settings. Specifically, it is expected that obese individuals who are not particularly emotionally intelligent will find it difficult to cope with emotional problems, which are likely to occur in everyday life. Such problems may include adapting to new situations, changing workplace, breaking up a romantic relationship, having to deal with a death of a loved one, and so on. In such challenging circumstances, obese individuals with low levels of EI are expected to fail to cope in an adaptive manner, and to increase their reliance on maladaptive coping strategies, which would then lead them to overeat in response to their negative emotions.
In summary, the present section argued that the present study represents a novel research endeavour that brings important insights on the topic of obesity and binge eating. Moreover, it was also argued that in order to reduce the risk of BED within the obesity population, obese individuals should be screened for their self-control, emotion
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regulation, emotion management, impulsivity, and maladaptive (i.e., emotional) coping levels. Furthermore, in order to prevent the development of BED and treat BED-O, individuals should be prompted to engage in training of important skills. These skills involve the skills of self-control, emotion regulation, and emotion management, as well as skills for reducing impulsive reactions. Furthermore, these individuals should be taught on how to engage in higher levels of adaptive (i.e., detached) coping and lower levels of maladaptive (i.e., emotional) coping. It is hoped that such recommendations would be taken with a degree of seriousness and implemented with care.