Does cognitive avoidance mediate the relation of anxiety and binge eating?

Purpose: Theory suggests that binge eating symptoms may develop in an attempt to avoid distressing states that arise in the context of negative affect. In light of its theoretical significance, including the “escape from awareness” model of binge eating, surprisingly few empirical evaluations have examined the empirical evidence for this variable in relation to anxiety and binge eating symptoms. In addition, although it is understood that anxiety is more prevalent among women than men, empirical investigations of gender differences in cognitive avoidance in binge eating are thus far absent from the published literature. Methods: Participants (N = 436) were recruited from diverse geographic regions across the United States to take part in an online study. Cognitive avoidance, anxiety, and binge eating measures were collected. Results: Cognitive avoidance partially mediated the relation between anxiety and binge eating in the full sample; however, results differed across genders. Specifically, cognitive avoidance was a mediator for women, but not for men. Conclusions: Findings support the “escape from awareness” model of binge eating among women, and suggest that targeting cognitive avoidance in binge eating treatment may be a promising clinical avenue. Future research may benefit from exploring the broader construct of experiential avoidance to determine if the gender differences in cognitive avoidance observed in this study are indicative of a larger pattern of avoidance behavior, and if factors other than cognitive avoidance may have greater relevance for men.