Compulsive Buying: Relationship with Body Mass Index

Objective: Compulsive buying has historically been associated with various self-regulatory disturbances, including eating pathology (e.g., binge eating). Therefore, a relationship between scores on a measure of compulsive buying, the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), and body mass index (BMI) in adulthood was hypothesized. Design and Methods: Using a self-report survey methodology in a cross-sectional consecutive sample of convenience of 373 obstetrics/gynecology patients, correlations between CBS scores and BMI, both generally and with regard to race were examined. Results: A modest general correlation between CBS scores and BMI (r = 0.17, P < 0.01) was found. However, when these data were examined by race, CBS scores and BMI were significantly related among Caucasian women (r = 0.25, P < 0.01), but not in African American women (r = 0.04, P = n.s.). Conclusions: Findings indicate that compulsive buying is associated with increasing BMI in adulthood, particularly among Caucasian women.