Eating behavior and obesity in bipolar disorder
Emily E Bernstein1, Andrew A Nierenberg2, Thilo Deckersbach2
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA ebernstein@fas.harvard.edu.
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|January 15, 2015
Summary
Individuals with bipolar disorder experience higher rates of obesity. Increased hunger and eating disinhibition are significant factors contributing to higher body mass index (BMI) in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Obesity Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Individuals with bipolar disorder exhibit higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared to the general population.
- The underlying causes for this association remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the etiological factors contributing to overweight and obesity in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
- To explore the relationship between eating behaviors, such as restraint, disinhibition, and hunger, and body mass index (BMI) in this population.
Main Methods:
- A specialty outpatient bipolar clinic recruited patients to complete the Eating Inventory.
- Participants provided self-reported data on eating restraint, disinhibition, perceived hunger, and general dietary intake perceptions.
Main Results:
- Sixty-two participants (37 female, age 18-67) with an average BMI of 27.18 (SD = 5.71) completed the survey.
- Disinhibition and perceived hunger positively correlated with BMI and self-reported difficulty in healthy eating.
- Hunger emerged as the most significant predictor of BMI (p = .006), with higher scores reported by those with bipolar I or II disorder.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that eating disinhibition and heightened perception of hunger are potential contributors to the elevated obesity rates observed in bipolar disorder.
- These factors may represent key targets for future weight management interventions in this clinical population.
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