Night Eating Syndrome, New Eating Disorders (II)
Obesity risk
Although food consumption after each awakening is not excessive, when the habit is enhanced resulting in weight gain, which can be the first step in the development of obesity. The relationship between excess weight and the syndrome has been found in the largest controlled study conducted to date, which analyzes the patterns of sleeping and eating in overweight patients.
In this research, conducted by the Program for Eating Disorders and Weight (Weight and Eating Disorder Program), Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, there were substantial differences in the pattern of food consumption between the group control and patients with SCN.
It was found that energy intake in the first eight hours of the day (six in the morning until two in the afternoon) was an average of only 575 calories in 46 people with SCN, compared to 1.082 calories consumed by 43 obese control group. Continue reading
Night Eating Syndrome, New Eating Disorders (I)
Those who have suffered loss of appetite in the morning and strong appetite for the night, accompanied by insomnia, frequent awakenings due to uncontrollable need to eat and feeling of guilt for having eaten a large quantity of food.
Nutrition experts report that in their consultations with patients begin to elaborate this new eating disorder. These are people who in the night “raid” the refrigerator and consume more than 60% of daily caloric requirements in several visits to the kitchen.
According to the Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics (FESNAD), this disorder may be present in up to 50% of the overweight population and, while recognizing that obesity is not really an eating disorder, eating syndrome night may be the cause in many cases. Continue reading