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© World Obesity Federation
Published in eClinicalMedicine, the systematic review and meta-analysis examined 38 studies involving more than 3,000 participants across ten countries. The research examined various types of weight loss interventions, including behavioural weight loss programmes alone, or with pharmacotherapy and/or psychological support. The researchers found that weight loss interventions were consistently associated with improvements in disordered eating symptoms, regardless of the type of programme used.
The findings come at an important time, as there has been significant increase in both eating disorders and obesity. Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric disorders, while obesity, affects an estimated 250 billion adults worldwide and increases risk for numerous health conditions.
People living with obesity are more likely to experience eating disorders, particularly binge eating, than those at a healthy weight. While this could be due to shared genetic and psychological factors, some people have worried that attempting to lose weight might trigger a worsening of disordered eating in vulnerable individuals - with dietary restrictions potentially leading to a cycle of guilt, low self-esteem, and binge eating.
‘Having worked as a dietitian with people living with an eating disorder, I am well aware of how difficult they are to manage and what an impact they have on patients and their families,’ said Elena Tsompanaki, registered dietitian and DPhil candidate who is the lead author of the paper. ‘At the same time, living with obesity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.’
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences website.