Is obesity an eating disorder?
Obesity arises when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure over a long period. Excess weight has an energy value of 7000 kcal/kg. Theoretically excess weight might be gained either because energy expenditure was too low or energy intake was too high. Many studies have shown that on average obese people expand more energy than normal so, notwithstanding dietary histories to the contrary, they must on average have a higher energy intake to maintain body weight. However it is not possible to show that obese people have any significant defect in short-term regulation of energy intake. The likeliest hypothesis is that obesity is a disorder arising from a failure of the long-term regulation of energy intake, in which cognitive factors play an important part.
Garrow
J S
JS
Dept of Human Nutrition, Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K.
D003071:Cognition; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology