Night eating in obesity: a descriptive study.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the frequency of night eating (NE) among obese patients, its biological correlates, and its relationships with binge eating disorder (BED).


METHODS
The eating behaviors of 166 patients enrolled in a weight-loss program were evaluated by a clinical interview specifically designed to detect BED and NE and by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire. In all cases body weight and resting energy expenditure were measured.


RESULTS
Among all obese subjects, NE was observed in 18 cases (15.7%) and BED in 54 cases (32.5%). NE was more frequent among BED than among non-BED patients; however, in the BED patients the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire Disinhibition and Hunger scores were higher than those in non-BED and NE individuals. Further, between NE and non-NE subjects with similar body weights, fully comparable resting energy expenditure was observed, indirectly indicating the lack of difference in overall daily food intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Although these behaviors may well overlap, the data of this study uphold the concept that NE and BED have different underlying behavioral constructs.
Adami
Gian Franco
GF
Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Genova, Largo Rosanna Benzi 8, 16132 Genoa, Italy. adama@unige.it
Campostano
Adelia
A
Marinari
Giuseppe M
GM
Ravera
Giambattista
G
Scopinaro
Nicola
N
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires