title: Night eating in obesity: a descriptive study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Genova, Largo Rosanna Benzi 8, 16132 Genoa, Italy. adama@unige.it
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Adami
authors.forename: Adelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campostano
authors.forename: Giuseppe M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Marinari
authors.forename: Giambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ravera
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scopinaro
mesh_terms: 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