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NCT Number: NCT07201662

The Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties

Obesity, recognized as a chronic disease by the WHO since 1998, affects 22.1% of adults in the Hauts-de-France region. Beyond the physiological aspects, it is associated with psychological difficulties, particularly eating disorders such as binge eating disorder (BED), as well as interpersonal difficulties related to empathy. Empathy, which consists of cognitive (decoding emotion) and affective (sharing emotion) dimensions, appears to be reduced in obese adults compared to adults of normal weight. However, existing research remains limited and heterogeneous. It is therefore essential to explore the links between obesity, cognitive and affective empathy in greater detail, taking into account the role of BED, in order to better understand their impact on interpersonal relationships.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity &Amp;Amp; Overweight Binge-Eating Disorder Body Weight Feeding and Eating Disorders Mental Disorders Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obesity Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Clinique les Peupliers

Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France

About this study

Obesity has been recognized as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization since 1998. In the Hauts-de-France region, obesity affects 22.1% of adults.

Psychologically, it has been noted that obese individuals may experience intrapersonal difficulties (eating disorders such as binge eating disorder [BED], i.e., bulimia nervosa) and interpersonal difficulties, such as empathy disorders. Empathy is generally defined as a multidimensional concept, comprising two dimensions known as "cognitive" (decoding emotion) and "affective" (sharing emotion).

Empathic skills are significantly weaker in obese adults than in adults of normal weight. However, only ten studies were included in this research, and only two studies focused on affective empathy. In addition, the methodologies were highly heterogeneous (experimental tasks, self-assessment questionnaires). Therefore, the investigators believe it is essential to examine the links between obesity, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy in the adult population using a mixed methodology based on an experimental task and questionnaires. In addition, the investigators wish to examine the role of BED in explaining possible empathy disorders associated with obesity. Finally, the investigators wish to better understand the links between empathy difficulties and interpersonal difficulties.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2
  • French-speaking
  • Enrolled in nutritional rehabilitation
  • Written consent signed by the patient
  • Affiliation with a social security system

Exclusion criteria

  • Insufficient proficiency in the French language
  • Minor patients, or patients under legal protection measures or deprived of liberty
  • Lack of health insurance coverage
  • Refusal to participate in the study
  • Presence of neurological disorders
  • Presence of cognitive disorders
  • Presence of psychiatric disorders
  • Presence of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia

Treatment and study plan

Condensed and Revised Multifaceted Empathy Test

Other

Experimental emotional decoding task that measures the cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy based on performance (Edele et al., 2013; Grynberg et al., 2017).Participants view 40 photos of faces expressing either a positive or negative emotion and must identify the emotion (decoding) and then rate on a 1-9 scale the extent to which they share it (emotional sharing). The task lasts approximately 10 minutes on average.

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

Other

A self-administered scale with 14 items, divided into two subscales of seven items, used to detect the presence of depression and anxiety. Non-cases or asymptomatic individuals (score ≤ 7); probable or borderline cases (score 8-10); clearly or clinically symptomatic cases (score ≥ 11).

The administration time is approximately 5 minutes.

Interpersonal Reactivity Index

Other

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980; Guttman & Laporte, 2002) is a 28-item self-report questionnaire measuring four dimensions of empathy: fantasy, perspective taking, empathic concern, and personal distress. Each item is rated on a 1-to-5 scale and provides a subscore for each dimension, with no overall total score. Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.

Vicarious Distress Questionnaire

Other

The Vicarious Distress Questionnaire (Grynberg et al., 2012) is an 18-item self-report scale assessing distress experienced in response to others' suffering and its impact on prosocial behaviors. It includes three dimensions-distress, support, and avoidance-each yielding a specific subscore. Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.

Binge Eating Scale

Other

The Binge Eating Scale (Gormally et al., 1982; Brunault et al., 2016) is a 16-item self-report questionnaire assessing the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive manifestations of binge eating disorder (BED) according to DSM-V criteria. The total score (0-46) reflects symptom severity and can be interpreted dimensionally or categorically (≥ 18 indicating significant symptomatology). Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.

Primary outcomes

  1. MET-Core

    Time frame: Enrollment

    Compare cognitive empathy skills obtained on the MET-Core between participants who are obese

Secondary outcomes

  1. Empathy skills

    Time frame: Enrollment

    Compare the empathy skills self-reported by participants with obesity, based on the presence or absence of symptoms suggestive of BED.

  2. Interpersonal difficulties assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems - Circumplex Scales (IIP-C)

    Time frame: Enrollment

    The IIP-C is a 64-item self-report questionnaire assessing interpersonal difficulties across eight sub-dimensions (each consisting of 8 items): Vindictive, Domineering, Intrusive, Overly Nurturant, Exploitable, Nonassertive, Socially Avoidant, and Cold.

    Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = not at all, 4 = extremely), reflecting the extent to which the statement represents a difficulty experienced by the participant in interpersonal relationships. For each sub-dimension, a mean score is computed, and a global score can also be calculated as the mean of all 64 items. Higher scores indicate greater interpersonal difficulties.

    The unit of measure will be the total IIP-C score (range: 0-4) and/or the subscale scores (range: 0-4). The average administration time is approximately 10 minutes.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Clinique de la Mitterie

Other

Collaborators

  • Clinique les Peupliers

Registry information

Official study title

Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties in the Context of Obesity in a Clinical Population

Acronym: EMBED_OB

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2027
First posted
Oct 1, 2025
Registry last updated
Jan 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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