The relationship between gendered racism and binge eating symptoms among young adult U.S. Black women: Identity shifting as a mediator.

Although research has illustrated that racial disparities in access to treatment for binge-eating disorder (BED) among Black women exist, little is known about the psychosocial related experiences of binge eating behaviors among Black women. Binge eating disorder is characterized by the recurrent consumption of large amounts of food within a brief period, accompanied by a loss of sense of control over the eating and distress over the eating behaviors. Past research has shown that race and gender related stressors are positively associated with emotional eating among Black young adult women and that they may engage in problem-solving coping strategies like identity shifting (conscious and unconscious alterations of thoughts, behaviors, perspective, and appearances) to manage these stressors.