Scientists Link “Cheat Meals” to Eating Disorders
Males were more likely than females to quickly break their diets to eat calorie-dense meals, and this behavior was linked to binge eating, compulsive activity, and fasting. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, more than half of men, women, and transgender or gender non-conforming participants took part in at least one "cheat meal," which is the practice of departing from one's established dietary practices to consume "prohibited" calorie-dense meals only to later return to previous dietary practices. All seven kinds of eating disorder behaviors in women were associated with cheating on meals within the previous 12 months. It was connected to a variety of male habits, such as fasting, compulsive activity, and binge eating. Finally, it was linked to overeating and binge-eating behaviors in transgender or gender non-conforming persons. Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work...