Barbara Mangweth

Binge eating disorder in females: a population-based investigation.

OBJECTIVE The authors investigated the prevalence of binge eating behavior in a general female Austrian population. METHOD A random sample of 1,000 women (age range 15a to 85a) was interviewed by dieticians over the phone. Some screening instruments were used to detect binge eating behavior. RESULTS Of the entire sample, 122 met the diagnostic criteria for binge eating, 84 for binge eating syndrome, and 33 for binge eating disorder (BED). The point prevalence of bulimia nervosa was 1.5%. Women with binge eating episodes carried out more frequently one or more diets within the previous year, and more frequently exhibited a restrained eating behavior than did women without binge eating behavior. Underweight women more often met the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa nonpurging type than did normal weight, overweight, and obese women, while overweight and obese women more frequently met the diagnostic criteria for BED. DISCUSSION Our findings indicate that binge eating appears to be a fairly common behavior in women. Dieting, chronic restrained eating, and excessive exercise may be important triggers for BED and bulimia nervosa.

Body Image and Psychopathology in Male Bodybuilders

Background: To compare male bodybuilders to men with eating disorders and control men regarding body image, psychopathology and sexual history. Method: We compared 28 male bodybuilders, 30 men with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia or binge eating disorder defined by DSM-IV), and 30 controls, using a battery of questionnaires covering weight history, eating behavior, body image, lifetime history of psychiatric disorders, and sexuality. Eating-disordered and control men were recruited from a college student population and studied during the course of an earlier investigation. Results: Bodybuilders exhibited a pattern of eating and exercising as obsessive as that of subjects with eating disorders, but with a ‘reverse’ focus of gaining muscle as opposed to losing fat. Bodybuilders displayed rates of psychiatric disorders intermediate between men with eating disorders and control men. In measures of body image, the bodybuilders closely resembled the men with eating disorders, but significantly differed from the control men, with the former two groups consistently displaying greater dissatisfaction than the latter. Sexual functioning did not distinguish the three groups except for the item ‘lack of sexual desire’ which was reported significantly more often by both bodybuilders and men with eating disorders. Conclusion: On measures of body image and eating behavior, bodybuilders share many features of individuals with eating disorders.

Family study of the aggregation of eating disorders and mood disorders.

BACKGROUND Family studies have suggested that eating disorders and mood disorders may coaggregate in families. To study further this question, data from a family interview study of probands with and without major depressive disorder was examined. METHOD A bivariate proband predictive logistic regression model was applied to data from a family interview study, conducted in Innsbruck, Austria, of probands with (N = 64) and without (N = 58) major depressive disorder, together with 330 of their first-degree relatives. RESULTS The estimated odds ratio (OR) for the familial aggregation of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder) was 7.0 (95 % CI 1.4, 28; P = 0.006); the OR for the familial aggregation of mood disorders (major depression and bipolar disorder) was 2.2 (0.92, 5.4; P = 0.076); and for the familial coaggregation of eating disorders with mood disorders the OR was 2.2 (1.1, 4.6; P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS The familial coaggregation of eating disorders with mood disorders was significant and of the same magnitude as the aggregation of mood disorders alone--suggesting that eating disorders and mood disorders have common familial causal factors.

Eating-disordered behavior in males: The impact of adverse childhood experiences

OBJECTIVE The authors examined the possible relationship of childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, and dysfunctional family background and the risk for developing an eating disorder in adult males. METHOD Several anonymous questionnaires were distributed to male university students. RESULTS Of the 301 men, 12 (4.0%) had experienced childhood sexual abuse, 11 (3.6%) had been victims of physical abuse, 79 (26.2%) reported an adverse family background, and 14 (4.6%) had an increased risk for developing an eating disorder. There were no significant differences in the risk for developing an eating disorder and in total EDI between victims and nonvictims, but a significantly increased risk for eating disorders in men with an adverse family background. DISCUSSION The findings suggest that long-lasting negative familial relationships, particularly in connection with physically abusive experiences, may increase the risk for eating disorders.

Binge eating disorder in males: A population-based investigation

The authors investigated the prevalence of binge eating behavior in a general male Austrian population. A randomly selected sample of 1000 male adults aged 18 to 88 was interviewed by dieticians over the phone. Some screening instruments were used to detect binge eating behavior. The results showed a total prevalence of eating disorders of 14.9%. Eight subjects (0.8%) met the full diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder (BED), 42 (4.2%) exhibited a partial binge eating syndrome, 94 (9.4%) an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, and five subjects (0.5%) a bulimia nervosa. Most subjects with a eating disorder were overweight or obese, particularly those with a full BED syndrome. Our findings indicate that full BED syndromes are very rare in a nonclinical male sample, whereas partial syndromes are fairly common in males.

Eating Disorders in Austrian Men: An Intracultural and Crosscultural Comparison Study

Background: We compared 30 male university students with eating disorders and 30 male comparison subjects without eating disorders recruited by advertisement at Innsbruck University, Austria. Methods: Subjects were interviewed using instruments that we had previously used in a controlled study of college men with eating disorders in the United States. Results: The Austrian men with eating disorders differed sharply from Austrian comparison subjects, but closely resembled their American counterparts, on prevalence of personal and familial psychopathology, adverse family experiences, and scores on rating scales for eating disorder. Interstingly, dissatisfaction with body image was consistently greater among American subjects regardless of eating disorder status. Conclusions: Our data suggest a weak association between eating disorders and homosexual or bisexual orientation in men, and no consistent association between eating disorders and childhood sexual abuse.

Therapeutic outcome of adjustable gastric banding in morbid obese patients

We examined 77 obese patients treated with bariatric surgery in order to analyse treatment success, and compare those with a good or a poor outcome. The subjects, who were recruited one year after undergoing adjustable gastric banding, were asked questions concerning their sociodemographic status, postoperative course, past and present weight status, eating behaviours and difficulties in changing eating habits. Furthermore, we also used two body image questionnaires, and considered the patients’ evaluations of positive and negative changes, as well as their wishes for the future. There were no preoperative differences between the 71% of patients in the good outcome group and the 29% in the poor outcome group. With regard to the postoperative course, the poor outcome group had more problems in adapting to new eating behaviours, experienced significantly more post-surgical complications, and had a persistently negative body evaluation. Both groups were satisfied with their achieved weight loss achieved, and their improved self-esteem and mobility. Adjustable gastric banding seems to be successful in inducing weight loss and allowing a better quality of life. However, factors such as postoperative complications, the ability and willingness to adopt new eating attitudes, and an improved body image seem to be crucial for therapeutic outcome.

Sexual dysfunction in males: significance of adverse childhood experiences

This paper examines the impact of childhood sexual victimization, physical abuse, and dysfunctional family background on sexual dysfunctions in adulthood in a nonclinical male student sample. The current analysis is based on data from a survey by questionnaire from 301 males. Our findings show that (a) occasional sexual dysfunctions, especially premature ejaculation and sexual desire disorder, are frequent in young male adults; and (b) long-lasting adverse familial relationship to attachment figures are more influential to later sexual dysfunction than are childhood sexual abuse experiences.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the double-blind treatment of a depressed patient suffering from bulimia nervosa: a case report

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; APA, 1994), bulimia nervosa (BN) is classified as an eating disorder. The disease is characterized by discrete periods of binge eating during which, large amounts of food are consumed and a sense of control over eating is absent, followed by differing types of purging behaviour to prevent weight gain. Since the first descriptions of the diagnosis, little is known about the aetiological background of the disease. BN is accompanied by, or due to, alterations of serotonin and/or norepinephrine activity. These changes may possibly be involved in the pathological eating behaviour and in causing associated depression.

Dietitians: are they a risk group for eating disorders?

The present study examined the eating behaviour and eating disorders of Austrian dietitians. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 Austrian dietitians and completed by 320 (64 per cent) subjects. Of the entire sample, 21 (6.6 per cent) of the dietitians were underweight, more than two-thirds normal in weight, and 40 (12.3 per cent) overweight, while 24 (7.5 per cent) met the EDI criteria for being at risk for developing an eating disorder. The prevalence rates of eating disorders in the past or present were 2.5 per cent (n=8) for anorexia nervosa and 3.4 per cent (n=11) for bulimia nervosa. Of the 40 overweight dietitians, six (15 per cent) met the diagnostic criteria for binge eating syndrome. The findings show that, on the one hand, dietitians are quite similar in their weight, eating attitudes and eating behaviour to other women, and that, on the other hand, some dietitians may be considered at risk for developing eating disorders or having an eating disorder. Copyright