Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

“Making weight” during military service is related to binge eating and eating pathology for veterans later in life

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

“Making weight” behaviors are unhealthy weight control strategies intended to reduce weight in an effort to meet weight requirements. This study aimed to examine a brief measure of making weight and to investigate the relationship between making weight and weight, binge eating, and eating pathology later in life.

Methods

Participants were veterans [N = 120, mean age 61.7, mean body mass index (BMI) 38.0, 89.2% male, 74.2% Caucasian] who were overweight/obese and seeking weight management treatment. Participants completed the making weight inventory (MWI), a measure of making weight behaviors engaged in during military service, and validated measures of eating behavior. Analyses compared participants who engaged in at least one making weight behavior (MWI+) versus those who did not (MWI−).

Results

The MWI had good internal consistency. One-third of participants were MWI+ and two-thirds were MWI−. The most frequently reported behavior was excessive exercise, reported in one-quarter of the sample, followed by fasting/skipping meals, sauna/rubber suit, laxatives, diuretics, and vomiting. MWI+ participants were significantly more likely to be in a younger cohort of veterans, to be an ethnic/racial minority, and to engage in current maladaptive eating behaviors, including binge eating, vomiting, emotional eating, food addiction, and night eating, compared to the MWI− group. Groups did not differ on BMI.

Conclusions

One-third of veterans who were overweight/obese screened positive for engaging in making weight behaviors during military service. Findings provide evidence that efforts to “make weight” are related to binge eating and eating pathology later in life. Future research and clinical efforts should address how to best eliminate unhealthy weight control strategies in military service while also supporting healthy weight management efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy protections regarding the use and distribution of VA data.

References

  1. Bartlett BA, Mitchell KS (2015) Eating disorders in military and veteran men and women: a systematic review. Int J Eat Disord 48(8):1057–1069. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22454

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bodell L et al (2014) Consequences of making weight: a review of eating disorder symptoms and diagnoses in the United States Military. Clin Psychol (New York) 21(4):398–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Das SR et al (2005) Obesity prevalence among veterans at veterans affairs medical facilities. Am J Prev Med 28(3):291–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2004.12.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Vieweg WVR et al (2007) Posttraumatic stress disorder as a risk factor for obesity among male military veterans. Acta Psychiatr Scand 116(6):483–487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01071.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Rosenberger PH et al (2011) BMI trajectory groups in veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Prev Med 53(3):149–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.07.001

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Wang A et al (2005) Obesity and weight control practices in 2000 among veterans using VA facilities. Obes Res 13(8):1405–1411. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2005.170

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cawley J, Maclean JC (2012) Unfit for service: the implications of rising obesity for US military recruitment. Health Econ 21(11):1348–1366. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.1794

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Reyes-Guzman CM et al (2015) Overweight and obesity trends among active duty military personnel: a 13-year perspective. Am J Prev Med 48(2):145–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.08.033

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Antczak AJ, Brininger TL (2008) Diagnosed eating disorders in the US Military: a 9 years review. Eat Disord 16(5):363–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260802370523

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Vieweg WV et al (2006) Posttraumatic stress disorder in male military veterans with comorbid overweight and obesity: psychotropic, antihypertensive, and metabolic medications. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 8(1):25–31. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v08n0104

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. McFarlane AC (2010) The long-term costs of traumatic stress: intertwined physical and psychological consequences. World Psychiatry 9(1):3–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Maguen S et al (2013) The relationship between body mass index and mental health among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. J Gen Intern Med 28(Suppl 2):S563–S570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2374-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Jacobson IG et al (2009) Disordered eating and weight changes after deployment: longitudinal assessment of a large US military cohort. Am J Epidemiol 169(4):415–427. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwn366

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Maguen S et al (2012) Gender differences in military sexual trauma and mental health diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Womens Health Issues 22(1):e61–e66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2011.07.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Tanofsky-Kraff M et al (2013) Obesity and the US military family. Obesity (Silver Spring) 21(11):2205–2220. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20566

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Breland JY et al (2017) Military sexual trauma is associated with eating disorders, while combat exposure is not. Psychol Trauma 1:1. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Breland JY et al (2017) Military experience can influence Women’s eating habits. Appetite 118:161–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.08.009

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Harrow JJ, Cordoves RI, Hulette RB (2006) Attitudes toward intentional weight loss and dietary behavior among US Army reserve soldiers during annual training. Mil Med 171(7):678–683. https://doi.org/10.7205/milmed.171.7.678

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wisbach GG et al (2018) Are navy weight management programs ensuring sailor physical readiness? An analysis at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Mil Med 183(9–10):e624–e632. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usx123

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Murray J et al (2017) Selected weight management interventions for military populations in the United States: a narrative report. Nutr Health 23(2):67–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106017704797

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lennon RP, Oberhofer AL, McQuade J (2015) Body composition assessment failure rates and obesity in the United States Navy. Mil Med 180(2):141–144. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Afari N et al (2019) Design for a cohort-randomized trial of an acceptance and commitment therapy-enhanced weight management and fitness program for Navy personnel. Contemporary Clin Trials Commun 1:1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Malkawi AM et al (2018) Dietary, physical activity, and weight management interventions among active-duty military personnel: a systematic review. Mil Med Res 5(1):43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-018-0190-5

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Personnel, C.o.N. (2013) Separation by reason of Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) failure. In: MILPERSMAN 1910-170, D.o.D. Navy

  25. Stice E et al (2017) Risk factors that predict future onset of each DSM-5 eating disorder: predictive specificity in high-risk adolescent females. J Abnorm Psychol 126(1):38–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Stice E, Desjardins CD (2018) Interactions between risk factors in the prediction of onset of eating disorders: exploratory hypothesis generating analyses. Behav Res Ther 105:52–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2018.03.005

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Steen SN, Brownell KD (1990) Patterns of weight loss and regain in wrestlers: has the tradition changed? Med Sci Sports Exerc 22(6):762–768

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kiningham RB, Gorenflo DW (2001) Weight loss methods of high school wrestlers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33(5):810–813

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Moore JM et al (2002) Weight management and weight loss strategies of professional jockeys. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 12(1):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Morton JP et al (2010) Making the weight: a case study from professional boxing. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 20(1):80–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Association AP (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub, Washington

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. Dorflinger LM, Ruser CB, Masheb RM (2017) A brief screening measure for binge eating in primary care. Eat Behav 26:163–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.03.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Masheb RM et al (2015) High-frequency binge eating predicts weight gain among veterans receiving behavioral weight loss treatments. Obesity (Silver Spring) 23(1):54–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Spitzer R, Yanovski S, Marcus M (1993) The questionnaire on eating and weight patterns-revised (QEWP-R). New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York

    Google Scholar 

  35. Barnes RD et al (2011) Comparison of methods for identifying and assessing obese patients with binge eating disorder in primary care settings. Int J Eat Disord 44(2):157–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20802

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  36. Elder KA et al (2006) Comparison of two self-report instruments for assessing binge eating in bariatric surgery candidates. Behav Res Ther 44(4):545–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.04.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Fairburn CG, Beglin SJ (1994) Assessment of eating disorders: interview or self-report questionnaire? Int J Eat Disord 16(4):363–370

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Fairburn C, Cooper Z (1993) The eating disorder examination. In: Fairburn CG, Wilson GT (eds) Binge eating: nature, assessment and treatment. Guilford Press, New York, pp 317–360

    Google Scholar 

  39. Grilo CM et al (2013) Eating disorder examination-questionnaire factor structure and construct validity in bariatric surgery candidates. Obes Surg 23(5):657–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-012-0840-8

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Masheb RM, Grilo CM (2005) Emotional overeating and its associations with eating disorder psychopathology among overweight patients with Binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 1:1. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Allison KC et al (2008) The Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ): psychometric properties of a measure of severity of the Night Eating Syndrome. Eat Behav 9(1):62–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2007.03.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Schulte EM et al (2015) Current considerations regarding food addiction. Curr Psychiatry Rep 17(4):563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0563-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Bastien CH, Vallières A, Morin CM (2001) Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index as an outcome measure for insomnia research. Sleep Med 2(4):297–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Higgins DM et al (2013) Binge eating behavior among a national sample of overweight and obese veterans. Obesity 21(5):900–903. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20160

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Bellows BK et al (2015) Healthcare costs and resource utilization of patients with binge-eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Int J Eat Disord 48(8):1082–1091. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22427

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Sonneville KR et al (2016) Helpful or harmful? Prospective association between weight misperception and weight gain among overweight and obese adolescents and young adults. Int J Obes (Lond) 40(2):328–332. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hazzard VM, Hahn SL, Sonneville KR (2017) Weight misperception and disordered weight control behaviors among US high school students with overweight and obesity: associations and trends, 1999–2013. Eat Behav 26:189–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.07.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Sonneville KR et al (2016) Weight misperception among young adults with overweight/obesity associated with disordered eating behaviors. Int J Eat Disord 49(10):937–946. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22565

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This project was supported in part by the Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development (CIN 13-407) (HSR&D) Center of Innovation (COIN) Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center, West Haven, CT. The content of this research is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the VA or the Veterans Health Administration.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Veterans Initiative for Eating and Weight/11ACSLG, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Robin M. Masheb, Alison G. Marsh & Christopher B. Ruser

  2. Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Robin M. Masheb & Christopher B. Ruser

  3. VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84148, USA

    Amanda M. Kutz

  4. Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA

    Kathryn M. Min

  5. Independent Scholar, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA

    Lindsey M. Dorflinger

Authors
  1. Robin M. Masheb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amanda M. Kutz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alison G. Marsh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kathryn M. Min
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Christopher B. Ruser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lindsey M. Dorflinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robin M. Masheb.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (Human Studies Subcommittee at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Waiver of informed consent was granted by IRB at VA CT Healthcare System.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of topical collection on males and eating and weight disorders.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Masheb, R.M., Kutz, A.M., Marsh, A.G. et al. “Making weight” during military service is related to binge eating and eating pathology for veterans later in life. Eat Weight Disord 24, 1063–1070 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00766-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00766-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation