Serum leptin level and restrained eating: study with the Eating Disorder Examination

Serum leptin concentrations in obese patients are influenced at short-term by a reduction of food intake. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the relationship between serum leptin level and eating behavior. The eating behavior and the food and shape attitudes of a group of obese women were assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), and the subscale scores were correlated with serum leptin levels. No difference in serum leptin level was found between obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and their nonbingeing counterparts. Considering all patients, the serum leptin levels positively correlated with the body mass index values (BMI), and the EDE subscales scores were positively interrelated. After controlling for BMI, serum leptin level was negatively correlated with the EDE Restraint score and positively correlated with the EDE Shape Concern score. The findings of this investigation indicate that in obese women serum leptin level and the occurrence of binge eating are unrelated. Furthermore, this study also found that the relationship between serum leptin level and restraint over food intake observed in eating disordered patients and in overweight preadolescent girls is shared by obese adult women. In addition, the positive relationship between EDE Shape Concern and serum leptin concentration suggests that the restrained eating might be the cause rather the consequence of the low leptin production.