Objective: To investigate the relationships between binge eating disorder and night eating in severely obese patients.
Design: Longitudinal study following biliopancreatic diversion, when any preoccupation with food and weight is completely abandoned.
Materials and methods: Structured interview prior to the operation and at the 1, 2, and 3-year follow-up visit.
Results: Nearly complete disappearance of binging behavior and no changes in the frequency of night eating.
Conclusion: Binge eating and night eating are widely overlapping but different behaviors; night eating appears to be fully independent of preoccupation with food and dieting.