195 research outputs found
Binge Eating Disorder and Body Uneasiness
Debate continues regarding the nosological status of binge eating disorder (BED) and the specific diagnostic criteria, including whether, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, it should be characterized by body image disturbances in addition to abnormal eating behaviour. The aims of this article are: a) to concisely review the main points of the literature that has developed on diagnosis and treatment (especially pharmacological) of BED and b) to present the results of an original research on body image in obese patients with BED. The study was aimed to verify the following hypothesis: in persons with obesity, BED is associated with greater body uneasiness independently of some possible modulating factors. We studied a clinical sample of 159 (89 females and 70 males) adult obese patients who fulfilled DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for BED matched to 159 non-BED obese patients for gender, ethnicity, BMI class, age, weight, stature, onset age of obesity, education level, and marital status. We used the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), a valuable multidimensional tool for the clinical assessment of body uneasiness in subjects suffering from eating disorders and/or obesity. Obese patients with BED reported higher scores than non-BED patients in the General Severity Index (BUT-A GSI) and in every BUT-A subscale. All differences were statistically significant in both sexes. As expected women obtained higher scores than men. According to some other studies, our findings suggest that a negative body image should be included among diagnostic criteria for BED. Consequently, treatment should be focused not simply on eating behaviour and outcome studies should evaluate changes of body image as well
Screening for eating disorders: false negatives and eating disorders not otherwise specified
OBJECTIVE: To study the problem of false negatives in the screening for eating disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We administered the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT40) and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) to 186 Italian female students (age 17.68 ± 0.9; BMI 20.84 ± 2.69). Then we submitted not only high-scorers but also all the subjects to a semi-structured diagnostic interview (Eating Disorder Examination - EDE 12.0D). The diagnosis of eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) was applied to cases which met all the DSM-IV criteria for AN and/or BN with one exception. RESULTS: 17 girls (9.1%) fulfilled diagnostic criteria for eating disorders: 1 bulimia nervosa full-syndrome and 16 EDNOS. Of the 17 girls 11 were EAT low-scorers (< 30) and 8 were EDI low-scorers (< 50); 5 subjects scored below the cutoff on both instruments. We calculated sensitivity (35.3%), specificity (88.8%), positive predictive value (PPV, 24.0%) and negative predictive value (NPV, 93.2%) of the EAT40; the respective values for the EDI were 52.9% (sensitivity), 85.2% (specificity), 26.4% (PPV) and 94.7% (NPV). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our data show that the introduction of the EDNOS diagnoses increases the PPV of the two questionnaires but lowers their sensitivity. We conclude that using a two stage screening approach leads to a very high rate of false negatives with a significant underestimation of the prevalence of eating disorders, particularly of EDNOS
The Effect of Obesity Management on Body Image in Patients Seeking Treatment at Medical Centers
treatment-
seeking patients with obesity. We aimed to investigate
the effects of obesity management on body image in patients
with obesity attending Italian medical centers for
weight loss programs.
Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 473 obese
patients seeking treatment in 13 Italian medical centers
(80% females; age, 45.9 standard deviation 11.0 years;
BMI, 36.8 5.7 kg/m2) were evaluated at baseline and after
a 6-month weight loss treatment. Body uneasiness, psychiatric
distress, and binge eating were tested by Body Uneasiness
Test (BUT, Part A), Symptom CheckList-90 (SCL-
90), and Binge Eating Scale (BES), respectively.
Results: At 6-month follow-up, the percentage weight loss
was significantly higher in men (9.0 6.3%) than in
women (6.8 7.3%; p 0.010). Both men and women had
a significant improvement in BUT Global Severity Index
and in all of the BUT subscales with the exception of the
Compulsive Self-Monitoring subscale. Linear regression
analysis selected baseline psychological and behavioral
measures (global score of BUT and SCL-90) and improved
psychiatric distress and binge eating as independent predictors
of changes in basal body dissatisfaction in females,
whereas in males, changes were associated only with baseline
BUT-Global Severity Index score, binge eating, and its
treatment-associated improvement. Pre-treatment BMI and
BMI changes did not enter the regression.
Discussion: Obesity treatment, even with a modest degree
of weight loss, is associated with a significant improvement
of body image, in both females and males. This effect
depends mainly on psychological factors, not on the amount
of weight loss
The Metabolic Syndrome in Treatment-Seeking Obese Persons
Obesity is a major risk factor for several metabolic diseases, frequently clustering to form the metabolic syndrome, carrying
a high risk of cardiovascular mortality. We aimed to assess the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in treatment-seeking
obese subjects and the potential protective effect of physical activity. A cross-sectional analysis of data from a large Italian
database of treatment-seeking obese subjects was performed. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria
provisionally set by the National Cholesterol Education Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Cholesterol in Adults, based on waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol
(HDL-C) levels, and arterial pressure. Data were available in 1,889 Caucasian subjects, 78% females, from 25 obesity
centers. Minimum criteria for the metabolic syndrome were fulfilled in 53% of cases. The prevalence increased with age and
obesity class and was negatively associated with participation in a structured program of physical activity (odds ratio, 0.76;
0.58 to 0.99; P .041), after correction for age, sex, and body mass. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was higher in
subjects with the metabolic syndrome. A subset of 12.8% of cases had no metabolic abnormalities. They had a lower
prevalence of abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease. Isolated obesity was significantly associated with physical
activity (odds ratio, 1.86; 1.33 to 2.60; P .0003). Multiple metabolic disorders are present in most obese patients, and their
prevalence is lower in physically active subjects. It is time to move towards a more integrated approach and to reconsider
resource allocation to improve lifestyle changes for large-scale control of obesity
Weight cycling in treatment-seeking obese persons: data from the QUOVADIS study
OBJECTIVE: To determine parameters of weight history useful for the assessment of weight cycling and their association with
psychological distress and binge eating.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional.
SUBJECTS: A total of 1889 treatment-seeking obese subjects, enrolled by 25 Italian centers (78% female subject), aged 20–65 y
(median 45); 1691 reported previous efforts to lose weight (median age of first dieting, 30 y).
MEASUREMENTS: The number of yearly attempts to lose weight, weight gain since age 20 y, cumulative weight loss and
gain were checked by a predefined structured interview. Psychological distress was tested by means of Symptom Check-List 90
(SCL-90), Binge Eating Scale (BES) and Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ).
RESULTS: Differences in anthropometric, clinical and psychological parameters were observed in relation to previous attempts
to lose weight. Patients in the upper quartile of parameters of weight history were considered weight cyclers. In multivariate
logistic regression analysis, after correction for age, sex and BMI, a high BES score was the only factor systematically associated
with a high frequency of dieting (OR, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.22–2.36; P¼0.022), with higher cumulative weight loss
(1.42; 1.12–1.80; P¼0.003) and cumulative weight gain (1.38; 1.06–1.79; P¼0.017). However, the sensitivity, specificity and
positive predictive value of a high BES score were very low to detect cyclers. Weight cycling did not carry a higher risk of
complicating diseases.
CONCLUSIONS: Weight cycling is associated with psychological distress, and binge eating independently increases the risk, but
cannot be used to predict cycling. Also, obese patients who do not experience overeating as a loss of control discontinue
treatment or regain weight following therapy
- …