Increasing risk of eating disorders in patients with childhood obesity

Introduction: Obesity from early age is considered a strong predictor of the premature development of cardiovascular diseases and other comor- bid conditions [1–3]. is retrospective case-control study aims at explor- ing if childhood obesity may be involved in the development of eating disorders (EDs). Methods: A group of patients with diagnosis of EDs (n=99) were com- pared with a control group (n=423). Personal data, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, weight history, dieting, body mass index at pubertal development, family history of obesity as well as for eating disorder have been consid- ered. Logistic regression has been used to assess the in uence of child- hood obesity in the development of EDs. Results: Obese children had almost two times (p = 0,018) the risk to de- velop EDs, compared with normal and underweight ones. In particular, obese children had a three times (p = 0,018) and 2,6 times (p = 0,031) higher risk to develop respectively binge eating disorder (BED) and buli- mia nervosa (BN). Moreover, the female component of our sample as well as the subjects with motherly positive anamnesis for EDs (MPAEDs), had respectively a ve times (p < 0,001) and four times (p = 0,037) higher risk to develop EDs than males and subjects with motherly negative anamnesis for EDs (MNAEDs). Conclusion: Our results indicate a high and increasing prevalence of EDs patients with early history of childhood obesity and suggest the necessity to develop more sensibility and awareness by clinicians who treat over- weight and obese children