Table 1 Descriptions of experiences during LOC and non-LOC eating episodes

Non-LOC Descriptors

Based on

“I’ll be watching TV while I’m eating, so I don’t really taste the food or notice what’s happening, but I just keep going back for more. Before I know it, all the food is gone, and I’ve eaten more than I planned.”

• Chen & Safer, 2010 [16]

• Mindful Eating Questionnaire [17]

“I’ve never tried to stop myself; I like the taste of it, so I just keep eating.”

Clinical descriptions from adults seeking weight loss treatment

LOC Descriptors

Based on

“During times like those, I feel helpless to control my urges to eat.”

Binge Eating Scale [18]

“I feel this drive to keep eating once I get started.”

Eating Disorder Examination [19]

“It’s hard for me to stop eating when I eat like that.”

• Eating Disorder Inventory-3 [20]

• Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire [21]

• Eating Disorder Examination [19]

“I feel like I can’t stop or limit the amount of food or the type of food I’m eating.”

• Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-5 [22]

• DSM-5 [7]

“I don’t really try to control my eating anymore. Eating like that is pretty much inevitable.”

Eating Disorder Examination [19]