Constitutional negotiations in federal reforms: interests, interaction orientation, and the prospect of agreement

Constitutional amendments in federal political systems have to be negotiated between national and sub-national actors. While theories of negotiation usually explain the outcome by looking at these actors, their preferences and bargaining powers, the theoretical model developed in this article also includes their interaction orientation. The article determines a typical sequence of bargaining and arguing and identifies favourable conditions for cooperation based on different interaction orientations. The article states that actors can reconcile the conflicting logics of intergovernmental or party competition and joint decision-making in constitutional politics through a sequence of bargaining and arguing. However, constitutional amendments negotiated in this way run the risk of undermining the legitimacy and functionality of constitutions

Serum leptin concentration in obese patients with binge eating disorder.

BACKGROUND: In steady-state conditions serum leptin concentration is directly related to body fat stores, but is also affected by changes in energy balance. This cross-sectional study investigated the serum leptin concentrations of severely obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED), in whom body fat was greater than normal and, because of eating pattern, rapid and repeated changes in energy balances took place. METHODS: A group of BED obese patients was compared to a group of obese patients with a regular eating pattern with the same body weight, body composition and resting energy expenditure. Serum leptin was measured and the eating attitudes were evaluated by Eating Inventory and Eating Disorder Inventory. RESULTS: In these patients serum leptin concentrations were only weakly correlated to body mass. Furthermore, in BED obese patients serum leptin concentration was higher than in their non binging counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: In obese patients both body fat size and eating behavior influence serum leptin concentration, but BED patients binge eating is not triggered by a low leptin value

Relationship between dietary restraint, binge eating, and leptin in obese women

To describe some biological, behavioural and psychological correlates of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, and to determine the relationship between dietary restraint, binge eating, and leptin among obese women seeking treatment