Serum leptin concentration in obese patients with binge eating disorder.
BACKGROUND
In steady-state conditions serum leptin concentration is directly related to body fat stores, but is also affected by changes in energy balance. This cross-sectional study investigated the serum leptin concentrations of severely obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED), in whom body fat was greater than normal and, because of eating pattern, rapid and repeated changes in energy balances took place.


METHODS
A group of BED obese patients was compared to a group of obese patients with a regular eating pattern with the same body weight, body composition and resting energy expenditure. Serum leptin was measured and the eating attitudes were evaluated by Eating Inventory and Eating Disorder Inventory.


RESULTS
In these patients serum leptin concentrations were only weakly correlated to body mass. Furthermore, in BED obese patients serum leptin concentration was higher than in their non binging counterparts.


CONCLUSIONS
In obese patients both body fat size and eating behavior influence serum leptin concentration, but BED patients binge eating is not triggered by a low leptin value.
Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche e Metodologie Integrate, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy. adami@unige.it
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Scopinaro
D001290:Attitude; D002032:Bulimia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D020738:Leptin