Binge Eating Self-help Treatment for University Students

Targeting Binge Eating to Prevent Weight Gain in College Students

BEST4US compares the effectiveness of two forms of self-help interventions that target college students, ages 18 years to 22 years, who report binge eating. The overall question is whether one or the other format will prevent excess weight gain and lead to differences in eating behaviors. The two formats are (1) "pure self-help" (receipt of a self-help program via book form or online texts) and (2) a combination of the self-help program and guidance provided by a trained peer coach over the course of 8 weekly sessions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• binge eating episodes at least once per week in the past 28 days
• 18 to 22 years old
• full-time student at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT, USA) or Manchester Community College (Manchester, CT, USA)

Exclusion Criteria:

• purging more than once per week in the past three months
• BMI less than 18 or greater than/equal to 40
• currently pregnant
• severe depressive symptoms or suicidality