Abstract
Background: In this study, eating behaviors and alexithymia
levels in obese adolescents are investigated. Relationships between
alexithymia, eating behaviour and insulin resistance are studied.
Method: A patient group and a comparison group are formed. The
patient group consists of 87 obese adolescents or overweight adolescents
(O+OW). The comparison group consists of 101 normal weight adolescents
(N). Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC), Dutch Eating Behavior
Questionnaire (DEBQ) and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression
Scale-Child Version (RCADS-CV) are used for assessing adolescents.
Homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) are
calculated to determine insuline resistance.
Results: AQC scores are significantly higher in O+OW compared
to N (p:0,009) . Both emotional and restrained eating scores are
higher in O+OW (p<0,001 for both). On the other hand, external
eating scores do not have any significant difference. In O+OW, external
eating is positively associated with HOMA-IR (r:035, p:0,006), but is
not associated with fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (r:-0,05, p:0,62;
r:-0,05, p:0,73). Regression analysis shows that restrained and
emotional eatings are predictors of O+OW (B:0,1, p<0,001;
B:0,06, p:0,001). Emotional eating is positively correlated with AQC and
RCADS-CV in O+OW (r: 0,29, p: 0,008; r:0,48, p<0,001)
Conclusion: Obese and overweight adolescents are more
alexithymic than normal weight adolescents. Also, alexithymia scores are
positively associated with emotional eating. On the other hand,
alexithymia is not a predictor of obesity/overweight. Restrained and
emotional eatings are predictors of obesity/overweight. Emotional and
restrained eatings are more common in obese and overweight adolescents
compared to normal weighted adolescents. External eating is not
significantly associated with obesity, but is related with insuline
resistance.
Keyword: obesity, childhood, alexithymia, restrained eating,
emotional eating