Gonadal Hormones are Associated with Body Shape and Symptoms of Disordered Eating in Women

The association between hormones and binge eating was assessed by Klump and colleagues in a community sample [4]. A small group of normal BMI college women provided 65 days of saliva samples for estradiol and progesterone assay, as well as mood and binge-eating scale scores. After controlling for BMI and negative affect, increases in binge eating across the menstrual cycle were significantly correlated with decreased estradiol and increased progesterone. In a similar study, a small sample of healthy women provided 35 to 65 days of saliva samples as well as daily ratings for body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and dietary restraint [5]. Body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness peaked during the midluteal phase of the cycle (when progesterone is typically high), and both measures were negatively associated with estradiol but positively associated with progesterone. Except for the correlation between body dissatisfaction and estradiol, the associations showed little change after controlling for negative affect and emotional eating.