Since compulsive eating occurs in approximately 30% of obese females and is associated with earlier relapse following weight loss, we compared daily energy intake, dietary composition and energy expenditure among obese binge eaters and obese non-bingers. Nine obese bingers (33 +/- 4 yrs, 95 +/- 6 kg, 39 +/- 1% fat) and nine obese non-bingers (47 +/- 3 yrs, 93 +/- 5 kg, 40 +/- 1% fat) were admitted for 12 days to a metabolic unit. Binge eaters were defined as scoring > 25 on the binge eating scale (BES). During the initial 8 days, subjects ate ad libitum from two computerized vending machines offering a variety of foods and beverages. A weight maintenance diet was then provided for the next 4 days. Twenty-four hour energy expenditure (24EE) and respiratory quotient (24Q) were measured on the last day of both feeding periods in a respiratory chamber. Obese bingers showed a wider range of energy intake compared to non-bingers, but the mean daily energy intake was similar between the two groups (2587 +/- 454 vs 2386 +/- 201 kcal/d) during 8 days of ad libitum intake. 24EE was not different between bingers and non-bingers after 8 days of ad libitum intake (2298 +/- 147 vs 2109 +/- 97 kcal/d, P = 0.3) or 4 days of weight maintenance diet, even more so after adjustment for differences in fat-free mass, fat mass and age. Resting metabolic rate, sleeping metabolic rate, and macronutrient intake and oxidation were also similar between groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)