Hormonal alteration in obese adolescents with eating disorder: effects of multidisciplinary therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Ghrelin and leptin play important roles in the physiopathology of eating disorders, starting generally in infancy and adolescence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of multidisciplinary short-term therapy on ghrelin and leptin concentrations, bulimia nervosa symptoms, binge eating disorder symptoms, body composition, and visceral and subcutaneous fat in obese adolescents.


METHODS
Twenty obese adolescents with simple obesity (BMI >95th percentile, 36.93 +/- 4.14, CDC) were submitted to multidisciplinary (nutrition, psychology, exercise and clinical) therapy. Plasma ghrelin and leptin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Bulimic and binge eating behaviors were measured by the Bulimic Investigation Test Edinburgh and the Binge Eating Scale, respectively. Visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured by ultrasonography and body composition by plethysmography.


RESULTS
Significant reductions were observed in body weight (101.04 +/- 11.18 to 94.79 +/- 10.94 kg), BMI (36.93 +/- 4.14 to 34.27 +/- 4.78), fat% (41.96 +/- 6.28 to 39.14 +/- 7.62%), visceral fat (4.34 +/- 1.53 to 3.41 +/- 1.12 cm), leptin concentration (20.12 +/- 6.47 to 16.68 +/- 8.08 ng/ml), prevalence of bulimia nervosa (100 to 67%) and binge eating disorder symptoms (40 to 17%).


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term multidisciplinary therapy was effective in improving body composition, visceral fat, leptinemia and eating disorders in obese adolescents.
Post Graduate Program of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. junecarnier.pnut@epm.br
June
J
Carnier
Mara C
MC
Lofrano
Wagner L
WL
Prado
Danielle A
DA
Caranti
Aline
A
de Piano
Lian
L
Tock
Claudia M O
CM
do Nascimento
Lila M
LM
Oyama
Marco T
MT
Mello
Sérgio
S
Tufik
Ana R
AR
Dâmaso
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011613:Psychotherapy
D054439:Ghrelin; D020738:Leptin