The underrepresentation of ethnically diverse women in the binge eating literature contributes to the false assumption that eating disorders are less prevalent among these women. This thesis represents the first known study examining a sample of exclusively Latina women who binge eat. The study had two aims: (1) to describe the eating patterns of Latinas who binge eat and examine the associations between these patterns and binges and BMI, and (2) to determine whether a CBT guided self-help (gsh) treatment modifies eating patterns that can be associated with reductions in binges and BMI. Participants for aim 1 included 64 Latina women diagnosed with bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder using the Eating Disorder Examination (Fairburn & Cooper, 1993), and aim 2 included the 24 women who completed CBTgsh. Baseline data indicated that binge eating was positively correlated with BMI and that breakfast was the least and dinner the most consumed meal. Lunch consumption was positively associated with binge eating and evening snack consumption was negatively associated with BMI (p < .05). The analysis of pre- to post- treatment variables indicated significant decreases in binge eating and BMI. Multiple regression analyses showed that changes in mid-afternoon snack frequency significantly predicted changes in binge days, such that increases in mid-afternoon snacks predicted reduction in binge days. While this study yielded preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of changing meal patterns and CBTgsh for reducing binge eating among Latinas, more research using diverse populations is needed to develop this limited literature and provide culturally competent treatments for binge eating.
