A new therapy designed to help people manage how they respond to food cues may offer a more effective way to treat binge eating than traditional approaches.
In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at the University of California San Diego found that a program combining regulation of cues (ROC) with behavioral weight loss strategies (BWL) outperformed standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the current first-line treatment, for reducing binge eating in veterans with overweight or obesity.
“The study showed that our treatment could reduce binge eating more than standard therapy even after the six-month follow up,” said Kerri Boutelle, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego and corresponding author. “This is encouraging for developing more effective and durable solutions for veterans struggling with disordered eating.”
Binge eating, defined as consuming unusually large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control, affects up to 65% of female veterans and 45% of male veterans and is closely linked to overweight and obesity. While CBT helps normalize eating patterns and address maladaptive thoughts, it typically does not lead to meaningful or lasting weight loss.
ROC takes a different approach. It targets two specific appetitive traits:
Food responsiveness: how strongly someone reacts to external food cues.
Satiety responsiveness: how well someone perceives internal fullness signals.
By combining ROC with calorie tracking and physical activity goals, the researchers aimed to help participants better tolerate cravings, recognize hunger and fullness, and support weight reduction.
The trial included 129 veterans with an average BMI of 34. Over five months, participants attended weekly group sessions and were encouraged to get at least 250 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity each week.
Key findings:
ROC+BWL participants had a 20% lower risk of binge eating during treatment and six months later compared to those receiving CBT.
The ROC+BWL group also lost more weight during the program, though this difference was not maintained at follow-up.
“These findings suggest that targeting how individuals respond to food cues, rather than just focusing on eating behaviors or thoughts, may offer a more effective and lasting treatment for binge eating,” Boutelle said.
This study was supported by the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program and the National Institutes of Health.