Volunteers Sought for UMaine Binge Eating Research
Contact: Stephanie LaMattina, 581-2031; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Young women who are subject to stress and binge eating are being sought for a University of Maine study.
Volunteers between the ages of 18 and 28 will have an opportunity to receive free treatment and a chance to win a $100 bonus for their participation.
The study is being conducted by clinical psychology Ph.D. candidate Stephanie LaMattina. LaMattina says the research she is doing will help researchers and members of the public understand more about binge eating and ways to address the urges.
Some of the symptoms of binge eating include frequent episodes of eating large amounts of food in a relatively short period of time and feeling an inability to stop eating or control what or how much is being eaten.
If people eat until they are uncomfortably full, eat alone because they are embarrassed by their eating habits or feel guilty or disgusted after eating because of how much they eat, they could be binge eaters, says LaMattina.
“If you often experience overeating episodes like those just mentioned, and you do not engage in self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting or other extreme ways of getting rid of the food you eat, you may qualify to participate,” LaMattina says. “All information will be kept confidential.”
The study involves volunteers coming to the UMaine campus on two occasions. The first visit is to fill out a questionnaire and do a short interview. The appointment takes about an hour, and can be scheduled any time of day. In a second visit, volunteers participate in lab tasks while completing a few short questionnaires. Second appointments are scheduled between 3-7 p.m. and take about two hours.
LaMattina also is looking for healthy volunteers who do not engage in binge eating to participate in the same study. For more information, please contact LaMattina at Stephanie.Lamattina@umit.maine.edu. The study already has begun and is expected to continue for the next few months.