Household food insecurity is associated with binge-eating disorder and obesity.

Food insecurity stems from limited financial resources. Yet, paradoxically, food insecurity is associated with overeating and excess weight. One subcategory of overeating is binge eating, which includes eating an unusually large amount of food while feeling a concurrent sense of loss of control. Associations between binge-eating disorder and food insecurity are not known, yet this is important to examine because binge eating is associated with more severe mental and physical health problems than overeating or obesity alone.