In 1994 binge eating disorder (BED) was included into the DSM-IV as provisional diagnostic category requiring further study. The prevalence in the general population is 2%; BED is 1.5 times more common in women than men. Up to 30% of participants in weight loss programs meet criteria for BED. As opposed to patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), restraint or restrictive eating is not a necessary antecedent in the development of BED. Eating-related as well as general psychopathology is significantly more common in obese patients with BED compared to obese patients without BED. In treating obese patients with BED there are several potential goals of treatment, including cessation of binge eating and improvement of eating-related psychopathology (e.g. concerns about weight and shape), weight loss or prevention of further weight gain, improvement of physical health, and reduction of psychiatric co-morbidity. Contrary to expectations weight loss programs do not appear to worsen the eating disorder and successful treatment of binge eating does not automatically promote weight loss. Controlled treatment studies could demonstrate that psychotherapeutic approaches and drug treatment are successful in reducing binge eating episodes in patients with BED. Remission rates are generally high (e.g., 50% and more with CBT) and the overall prognosis is better than for patients with BN. Patients who achieve complete abstinence from binge eating lose more weight compared to patients who remain symptomatic; however the degree of weight loss after CBT targeting binge eating is modest and does not meet with the expectations of the patients. The long-term treatment success of drug treatment remains unclear. It is currently discussed if BED represents a truly distinct diagnostic entity.

This is a report on biochemical and physiological examinations carried out on 20 test persons who in the last 2 years had contacted and completely recovered from pityriasis versicolor and on 25 control persons of corresponding age and sex. The tests on the skin surface of the patients with pityriasis versicolor show, when compared with the corresponding control group, the following significant results: 1. Significantly more amino acids could be extracted from the skin of the pityriasis versicolor patients than from the skin of the control persons. 2. A significantly shorter alkali neutralisation time was to be found in the pityriasis versicolor patients than in the control persons. 3. The degree of water spreading on the skin was found to be significantly reduced in the pityriasis versicolor patients when compared with the control persons. It is probable that these results point to important predisposing factors for pityriasis versicolor.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract