Childhood obesity is steadily increasing in the world. Being obese from early age is considered a strong predictor of the early development of cardiovascular diseases and other comorbid conditions that contribute to reduce the quality of life. However, few pay attention to the psychological implications of this disease. This study aimed to show that childhood obesity is not only a risk factor for metabolic diseases in adulthood, but because of the stigmatization of their weight and of the social pressure to thinness, may be a risk factor for eating disorder (ED), whose diagnosis is often delayed until the symptoms are severe. Methods A retrospective case-control study was used to compare a group of patients with diagnosis of ED (N=89), with healthy controls (N=397), referred to the Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition at Pavia’s University, between 2004 and 2014. Personal data, socioeconomic status, weight history, dieting, body mass index (BMI) at puberal development, family history of obesity and mothers with eating disorder, ED criteria and lifestyle were assessed with an interview. Logistic regression was used to assess the weight of childhood obesity in the development of ED, compared to other risk factors. Results Obese children had almost two times (p=0,022) the risk to develop ED, compared with normal and underweight child, in particular binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) risk is respectively three times (p=0,031) and three and half times (p=0,031) stronger in obese children. In addition, females and people with mother suffering ED, had respectively five times (p<0,001) and twelve times (p<0,006) the risk to develop ED than men and mother without ED. Conclusion This study shows that childhood obesity is not only a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, but also of ED. For this reason, it’s important to underline early eating-disordered behaviors to prevent the possible development of ED, apparently opposed to the condition of obesity
INCREASING PREVALENCE OF EATING DISORDER IN PATIENTS WITH CHILDHOOD OBESITY
BAZZANO, ROSELLA;DE GIUSEPPE, RACHELE;ROGGI, CARLA;CENA, HELLAS
2014-01-01
Abstract
Childhood obesity is steadily increasing in the world. Being obese from early age is considered a strong predictor of the early development of cardiovascular diseases and other comorbid conditions that contribute to reduce the quality of life. However, few pay attention to the psychological implications of this disease. This study aimed to show that childhood obesity is not only a risk factor for metabolic diseases in adulthood, but because of the stigmatization of their weight and of the social pressure to thinness, may be a risk factor for eating disorder (ED), whose diagnosis is often delayed until the symptoms are severe. Methods A retrospective case-control study was used to compare a group of patients with diagnosis of ED (N=89), with healthy controls (N=397), referred to the Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition at Pavia’s University, between 2004 and 2014. Personal data, socioeconomic status, weight history, dieting, body mass index (BMI) at puberal development, family history of obesity and mothers with eating disorder, ED criteria and lifestyle were assessed with an interview. Logistic regression was used to assess the weight of childhood obesity in the development of ED, compared to other risk factors. Results Obese children had almost two times (p=0,022) the risk to develop ED, compared with normal and underweight child, in particular binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) risk is respectively three times (p=0,031) and three and half times (p=0,031) stronger in obese children. In addition, females and people with mother suffering ED, had respectively five times (p<0,001) and twelve times (p<0,006) the risk to develop ED than men and mother without ED. Conclusion This study shows that childhood obesity is not only a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, but also of ED. For this reason, it’s important to underline early eating-disordered behaviors to prevent the possible development of ED, apparently opposed to the condition of obesityI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
