In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, binge-eating disorder (BED) is classified as episodes of binge eating while not being hungry, eating too fast until feeling uncomfortably full, or eating in solitude with feelings of shame and disgust after eating, without compensatory mechanisms. The controversial disorder food addiction (FA) is characterized by overconsumption, cravings, failure to cut down on amounts of food, and withdrawal and tolerance to overeating. In this narrative review, we aimed to comprehensively characterize and compare BED and FA. We searched PubMed using the keywords “binge-eating disorder” and “food addiction.” We finally included 51 publications according to topic specificity, credibility, the authors’ reputation, and non-bias criteria. BED is characterized by concerns about dietary issues, body shape, and weight as well as depressive symptoms and brooding rumination. FA can be divided into substance addiction and behavioral addiction, which can be differentiated using a list of criteria including hunger, taste, pleasure, function of food, loss of social connections, weight concerns, and awareness about the disorder. Further research is needed to further characterize and distinguish BED and FA.

Introduction. Atypical antipsychotics are the gold standard in the treatment of psychotic and other mental disorders due to their efficacy and tolerability. However, the relatively frequent occurrence of antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome has encouraged research into possible solutions to this problem, including the adjunctive use of metformin. The aim of this review article is to present a concise, comprehensive and critical overview of the aforementioned issue based on the analysis of available experimental research. Material and Methods. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature published in a fifteen-year period between 2008 and 2022. The following terms were used in the search: atypical antipsychotics, metformin, and weight gain. Only double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, and cohort studies were taken into consideration. Results. A total of 145 papers were analyzed, of which 10 papers with 852 subjects met the inclusion criteria. All the reviewed studies concluded that the adjunctive administration of metformin at a daily dose of 500 mg to 2,000 mg has significantly reduced atypical antipsychotic-induced weight gain, with a favorable effect on other metabolic parameters that were examined in the analyzed papers. Conclusion. Taking into account the increased cardiovascular morbidity and the consequent mortality among those who have been using atypical antipsychotics in the long term, it is necessary to assess the risks and benefits of introducing adjunctive metformin in every patient who is at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. In order to recommend the routine use of metformin in such indications, studies that would include a larger sample and a longer period of treatment are needed.

Introduction. It is known that it is possible to improve healthcare by paying more attention to psychological aspects of diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental conditions. The study and practice of such factors is called psychological medicine. The aim of this paper was to provide contemporary aspects of psychological medicine and to emphasize its contributions to clinical practice. Material and Methods. A review of the literature on psychological and psychosomatic medicine was performed using Medline and manual search. Results. The main goals of psychological medicine are comprehensive assessment of psychological factors affecting the etiology, course and outcome of illness, biopsychosocial consideration of patient care, as well as integration of specific interventions in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of patients. We need to emphasize that due to clinical limitations, in terms of current separation of mental and physical healthcare, the treatment of many health conditions in which psychological factors are significant, is still insufficient. Conclusion. Because of its importance to patients' well-being, psychological and psychosomatic medicine should to be an integral part of clinicians' knowledge across all specialties.