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Dietary Patterns, Eating Disorder Risk, Emotional Distress, and Amino Acid Intake in Adults Seeking Weight Loss
Alessia Placanica1, Carmelo Pujia2, Rossella Bruno3
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
Nutrients
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Dietary patterns impact eating disorder risk. A Mediterranean-like diet may protect against it, while a comfort food diet and certain amino acids might increase risk. Further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Diet quality and amino acid intake are crucial for physical and mental health.
- These factors may influence the risk of developing eating disorders.
- Understanding these relationships is vital for preventative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between dietary patterns, amino acid consumption, and eating disorder risk.
- To identify specific dietary patterns and amino acids linked to eating disorder risk and body image distortion.
- To provide insights into nutritional factors influencing disordered eating behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 130 adults with overweight or obesity.
- Assessment of eating disorder risk and body image distortion.
- Utilized a food frequency questionnaire for dietary intake analysis.
- Employed Principal Component Analysis for dietary pattern identification and logistic regression for risk assessment.
Main Results:
- Six dietary patterns were identified; the Mediterranean-like pattern was linked to lower eating disorder risk (OR=0.60).
- A Comfort Food pattern showed a trend towards increased eating disorder risk (OR=1.49) and body image distortion (OR=1.70).
- Higher intake of glutamic acid and glycine correlated with lower risk, while higher leucine intake correlated with higher risk.
Conclusions:
- Dietary patterns significantly correlate with eating disorder risk and body image distortion.
- A mixed Mediterranean-like diet may offer protective effects against eating disorders.
- Comfort Food patterns and specific amino acid intakes (e.g., leucine) may elevate risk, warranting further clinical investigation.
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