BEHAVIOR THERAPY 31, 221--235, 2000 Longitudinal Predictors of Binge Eating, Intense Dieting, and Weight Concerns in a National Sample of Women NANCY D. VOGELTANZ-HOLM STEPHEN A. WONDERLICH BETH A. LEWIS SHARON C. WILSNACK Z. ROBERT HARRIS RICHARD W. WILSNACK ARLINDA E KRISTJANSON University of North Dakota As part of an ongoing longitudinal study of the antecedents and consequences of women's drinking in the U.S. adult female population, women who participated in a 1991 survey provided data in 1996 about their experiences of binge eating, intense dieting, and weight concerns (N = 709, ages 26 to 54 in 1996). Five percent of the women reported binge eating in the past 30 days, 29% reported that they had en- gaged in intense dieting or fasting in the past 3 months, and 1.5% of the women met criteria for nonpurging bulimia nervosa (binge eating and intense dieting). Forty- three percent reported that their weight and shape were either very important or more important than anything else. After controlling for 1991 occurrence of binge eating, predictors of binge eating in 1996 were past 12-month use of illicit drags (mostly marijuana) and greater occurrence of drinking to intoxication. A body mass index (BMI) × 1991 binge eating interaction indicated that having a higher BMI in 1991 predicted the onset of binge eating by 1996, but it did not predict the continua- tion (chronicity) of binge eating 5 years later. Year 1991 predictors of intense dieting in 1996 were having weight concerns, being unmarried, having used illicit drugs in the past 12 months, and having parents who had more than a high school education. Only a younger age in 1991 and having a lower BMI predicted 1996 weight con- cerns, after controlling for weight concerns 5 years earlier. These results indicate that risk factors for the onset and chronicity of disordered eating behaviors and attitudes The national survey reported in this paper was supported by Research Grant R37AA04610 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, to Sharon Wilsnack and Richard Wilsnack, principal investigators. Address correspondence to Nancy D. Vogeltanz-Holm, Department of Psychology, RO. Box 8380, or to Stephen A. Wonderlich, Department of Neuroscience, RO. Box 9037, Univer- sity of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202; e-mail: Vogeltan @badlands.nodak.edu. 221 005-7894/00/0221M9235s 1.00/0 Copyright 2000 by Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy All rights for reproduction in any form reserved.