Dieting and the development of eating disorders in obese women: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Some investigators fear that dieting may precipitate binge eating and other adverse behavioral consequences.

Objective: The objective of the study was to examine whether dieting would elicit binge eating and mood disturbance in individuals free of these complications before treatment.

Design: A total of 123 obese women were randomly assigned to 1) a 1000 kcal/d diet that included 4 servings/d of a liquid meal replacement (MR); 2) a 1200-1500 kcal/d balanced deficit diet (BDD) of conventional foods; or 3) a nondieting (ND) approach that discouraged energy restriction.

Primary care physicians' attitudes about obesity and its treatment.

Objective: This study was designed to assess physicians' attitudes toward obese patients and the causes and treatment of obesity.

Research Methods And Procedures: A questionnaire assessed attitudes in 2 geographically representative national random samples of 5000 primary care physicians. In one sample (N = 2500), obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 to 40 kg/m(2), and in the other (N = 2500), obesity was defined as a BMI > 40.