Relationship between binge-eating episodes and self-perception of body weight in a nonclinical sample of five Brazilian cities

Abstract

Relationship between binge-eating episodes and self-perception of body weight in a nonclinical sample of five Brazilian cities Relação entre episódios de compulsão alimentar e autopercepção do peso corporal em uma amostra não-clínica em cinco cidades brasileiras A b s t r a c t Objective: To investigate the relationship between binge-eating episodes and a perception that body weight is above the ideal in a sample of customers interviewed at shopping malls in five Brazilian cities. Methods: In 1999, data were collected over the course of one week (Monday-Friday only) at the largest shopping malls in the cities of Porto Alegre, Salvador, Fortaleza, Goiânia and Curitiba (two malls per city). A total of 2855 participants (917 men and 1938 women) were interviewed. Weight and height measurements were standardized. Binge-eating episodes were identified using a questionnaire including the following questions based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria: "Have you ever eaten, in a period of two hours or less, an amount of food greater than that most people would eat?" and "If the answer was "yes", did you, during these episodes, feel unable to stop eating or to control how much you were eating?". Results: The prevalence of binge-eating episodes was higher among overweight subjects (15.6%) compared with normal-weight subjects (9.9%) (p = 0.0001) and, among subjects who perceived their body weight to be above the ideal (men: 13.9%; women: 15.1%) compared with those who perceived their body weight to be ideal or below the ideal (men: 8%; women: 7%) (p < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for body mass index and demographic variables, bingeeating episodes were correlated with the perception that body weight is above the ideal only among women (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.5).Conclusions: These findings suggest that the perception that body weight is above the ideal, regardless of overweight status, is associated with binge-eating episodes in women.Keywords: Body weight; Obesity/psychology; Obesity/epidemiology; Self concept Resumo Objetivo: Investigar a relação entre percepção de peso corporal acima do ideal e episódios de compulsão alimentar em uma amostra de usuários de shopping centers de cinco cidades brasileiras. Métodos: Centrais de atendimento foram montadas nos dois maiores shopping centers de cinco cidades: Porto Alegre, Salvador, Fortaleza, Goiânia e Curitiba, durante cinco dias do ano de 1999, de segunda a sexta-feira, com a participação de 2.855 indivíduos (917 homens e 1.938 mulheres). O peso corporal e a altura foram medidos de forma padronizada. Os episódios de compulsão alimentar foram avaliados através de um questionário que incluía as seguintes questões: "Você já comeu em duas horas ou menos, uma quantidade de comida que a maioria das pessoas consideraria grande demais?" e "Em caso afirmativo, nas ocasiões em que comeu deste modo, geralmente sentia que não conseguia parar de comer ou controlar o quanto comia?", formuladas a partir dos critérios diagnósticos do DSM-IV. Resultados: A prevalência de episódios de ...

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