title: Alexithymia and body image in adult outpatients with binge eating disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study elucidates the relations between alexithymia and body image in patients with binge eating disorder (BED).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred one patients with BED were evaluated. Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The severity of BED was measured with the Binge Eating Scale (BES). Body concerns were assessed with the Body Shape Questionnaire-Short Version (BSQ-S), the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and the Body Attitude Test (BAT). Additional measures were the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of alexithymia in our sample was 39.6% (n = 40) and individuals with alexithymia showed higher scores on all rating scales. Higher body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and the Difficulty in Identifying Feelings/Difficulty in Describing Feelings subscales of the TAS-20 were predictors of the severity of BED in the linear regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymia was associated with more severe BED. Individuals with alexithymia and BED exhibited significantly poorer appearance evaluation and body satisfaction as well as higher depressive symptoms than individuals without alexithymia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carano
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Berardis
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gambi
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campanella
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pelusi
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sepede
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: La Rovere
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salini
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cotellessa
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Filippo Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ferro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012649:Self Concept