Search Results (8)

Objective: The present study is a qualitative analysis of participant experiences and perspectives from people who received cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity (CRT-O). Method: Post-intervention data were generated from an open-ended question requesting the participants to write, in the form of a letter to their therapist, about their experiences and reflections upon taking part in cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity. Participants’ letters were thematically analyzed. Results: Four themes and nested subthemes emerged from participant responses, including (1) motivation and initial response to CRT-O for the adult obesity study eligibility process with the nested subthemes of initial apprehension pre-intervention and awareness and acknowledgement of one’s problematic eating behaviors; (2) perceived benefits from cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity with the nested subthemes of the strategies and techniques that were found beneficial and the role of the cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity therapists in facilitating positive change; (3) perceived outcomes post-intervention with the nested subthemes of changed relationship with food, self-acceptance and gaining control to effect positive lifestyle change; and (4) expectations and beliefs about the longer-term impact of cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity with the nested subthemes of using the cognitive remediation therapy for adult obesity strategies as a lifestyle routine, apprehension about not having follow-up therapist support, and concern about potential relapse. Conclusion: Our analysis found helpful insights into the consumer perception of this novel intervention and highlighted the clinical utility of implementing cognitive remediation therapy in those living with a higher body weight. Full article

Introduction: Autism and ADHD shape behaviours related to food, exercise, and body image, potentially influencing obesity treatment outcomes, as seen in eating disorder research. Resultantly, autistic and ADHD patients with obesity may have distinct experiences and differences compared to non-autistic and non-ADHD patients. This review maps existing literature on autism and ADHD in adults with obesity. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, six databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and Scopus) were searched for studies on autism and/or ADHD (diagnosed, probable, or traits) in adults with obesity. Screening and data extraction were conducted twice independently for each record. Results: Thirty-one studies were included, with 1,027,773 participants. Two case reports described successful use of weight loss drugs in autistic people with obesity. Eight prevalence studies suggested ADHD is overrepresented in obesity, regardless of binge eating status. Nineteen studies examined clinical profiles: ADHD patients had lower socioeconomic status, poorer health-related quality of life, increased impulsivity, cognitive inflexibility, and neuroticism, alongside lower agreeableness, conscientiousness, self-directedness, and cooperativeness. ADHD patients also exhibited higher psychopathology, problematic alcohol use, and disordered eating. Eight studies assessed treatment responses, noting poorer outcomes from behavioural programs and obesity pharmacotherapy, but similar post-surgical weight outcomes, despite increased complications. Two studies considered ADHD-specific treatment adaptions, one reporting a successful trial of ADHD medication for weight loss and the other reporting on switching to transdermal ADHD medications after bariatric surgery. Conclusions: This review underscores the need for more research on autism and obesity. For ADHD, findings suggest frequent co-occurrence with obesity, but lived experiences and tailored interventions remain underexplored. Full article

Anorexia nervosa is classified by the American Psychological Association as an eating-related mental disorder, which affects mostly young adult women and adolescent girls. Although refeeding programs are often used to recover bodyweight in patients with anorexia nervosa, treatment failures are high, and the determinants of the disorder remain unknown. The present paper uses a nutritional epidemiology perspective to examine determinants of anorexia nervosa from the patients’ point of view. A grounded-theory literature-review method was used to search and review research findings from the peer-reviewed literature related to the etiology of anorexia nervosa, including recent qualitative interviews with patients. Unlike a systematic review, a grounded theory method is more appropriate for developing a new theory to explain phenomena like the cause, recovery, and prevention of anorexia nervosa. Reviewed research suggests that anorexia nervosa may be a problematic body-change strategy rather than a mental disorder. Additionally, the present paper proposes that replacing the drive for thinness in anorexia nervosa with a drive for leanness may help patient recovery, especially when guided by easily accessible body-composition estimates. Fat-free mass restoration in the recovery of anorexia nervosa may also be facilitated by resistance training, which improves patients’ psychological status and body composition. Additionally, replacing a dysfunctional dieting strategy in anorexia nervosa with knowledge, skills, and experience in proper weight management has a potential preventive effect against the disorder. More research is needed to investigate the applied effects of the drive for leanness, body-composition assessments, resistance-training programs, and weight-management skills associated with the recovery and prevention of anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, successful application of the information in this paper may be adapted to peer role model programs to prevent anorexia nervosa. Full article

Introduction: Adolescents experience rapid physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth with different factors contributing to health and well-being. In this view, an important role is played by body weight and related perceptions. The purpose was to determine, in a sample of Italian high school students, whether health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is associated with the different weight status categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese), even considering sex differences. Material and methods: Data were collected from 1826 adolescents (n = 735 males). HRQOL was analyzed using the Italian version of KIDSCREEN-52. Results: Overweight adolescents showed reductions in psychological well-being (p < 0.05) and self-perception (p < 0.05) compared with individuals in other BMI categories. Subjects with obesity reported increased bullying victimization (p < 0.05) and reductions in self-perception and eating disorders (p < 0.001), while underweight individuals were characterized by altered adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001), eating disorders (p < 0.001), and problematic use of social media (p < 0.05). No sex differences were found, except for socio-economic status perceptions, where underweight girls reported higher economic well-being than boys (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings may suggest that there is an association between weight status categories and HRQoL that is more pronounced in underweight and overweight adolescents. The association between BMI categories and psychosocial dimensions opens the need to define specific domains on which such preventive interventions should focus, always through a personalized perspective. Full article

Socially assistive robots have been proposed to help people with dementia to conduct activities of daily living, facilitate therapeutic interventions or address problematic symptoms associated with the disease. Psychological symptoms of dementia, such as anxiety, apathy or aggression, are the main cause of distress to both people with dementia and caregivers. Caregivers frequently report disruptive eating behaviors as a major cause of concern. These include being distracted while eating, throwing food or refusing to eat. This paper reports the design and evaluation of a social robot aimed at assisting people with dementia with disruptive eating behaviors. We describe the user-centered design process that was followed and the implementation and evaluation of the assistive robot. The assistive robot identifies common challenging behaviors, using mostly computer vision, and incorporates strategies recommended by caregivers to help address them. Full article

(1) Background: Obesity (OB) is a frequent co-morbidity in Binge Eating Disorder (BED), suggesting that both conditions share phenotypical features along a spectrum of eating-related behaviors. However, the evidence is inconsistent. This study aimed to comprehensively compare OB-BED patients against OB individuals without BED and healthy, normal-weight controls in general psychopathological features, eating-related phenotypes, and early life experiences. (2) Methods: OB-BED patients (n = 37), OB individuals (n = 50), and controls (n = 44) completed a battery of standardized questionnaires. Responses were analyzed using univariate comparisons and dimensionality reduction techniques (linear discriminant analysis, LDA). (3) Results: OB-BED patients showed the highest scores across assessments (e.g., depression, emotional and stress eating, food cravings, food addiction). OB-BED patients did not differ from OB individuals in terms of childhood traumatization or attachment styles. The LDA revealed a two-dimensional solution that distinguished controls from OB and OB-BED in terms of increasing problematic eating behaviors and attitudes, depression, and childhood adversities, as well as OB-BED from OB groups in terms of emotional eating tendencies and self-regulation impairments. (4) Conclusions: Findings support the idea of a shared spectrum of eating-related disorders but also highlight important distinctions relevant to identifying and treating BED in obese patients. Full article

Eating disorders can be understood as attempts to manage a problematic relationship with one’s own body. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore and discuss perspectives of embodying “experiences with nature” related to recovery in everyday life for persons experiencing eating disorders. The study was carried out in the context of a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Eight participants with an interest in nature and friluftsliv (outdoor pursuits), and with experiences with bulimia nervosa and/or binge-eating disorders, were interviewed twice. Interviews took place in nature, in combination with a “going together” method. The results reveal how the participants highlighted experiences with nature as accentuating feelings of calmness and an engagement of the senses. Participants described nature as a non-judgmental environment that also provided room for self-care. This article explores the implications of everyday life perspectives on nature in recovery, as well as of an integrated focus on body and mind in experiences with eating disorders. The article concludes with an emphasis on how participant’s embodying experiences with nature enabled a (re)connection with one’s own body. Full article

Background: Weaning marks the transition from a milk-only diet to the consumption of solid foods. It is a time period where nutrition holds an undeniable importance and taste experiences have a long-lasting effect on food preferences. The factors and conditions that form parental feeding practices are yet to be fully understood; doing so can help target problematic behaviours and develop interventions aiming to modify them. Objective: This study used a qualitative methodology to gain a better understanding of parental experiences of weaning a child. Particular emphasis was placed on exploring the factors and conditions that favour the establishment of a healthy relationship with food in infancy and those that impede it. Methods: Thirty-seven mothers of healthy infants 3–14 months with no previous history of allergies or food-related disorders were recruited. Eight semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: Discussions revealed a number of opportunities to establish healthy eating habits during weaning, as well as relevant challenges. Important opportunities included: acting as a role model for healthy foods; giving multiple opportunities to try a food; food variety “so you don’t have a fussy eater”; and without food variety “things aren’t going to work properly”. Additionally, some of the challenges identified were: misconceptions about the definition of food variety; and distractions occurring during feeding. Conclusions: Mothers were mindful of the need to provide their children with appropriate nutritional stimuli during weaning. They were aware of their role in influencing their infants’ likes and used strategies such as modelling and repeated food exposure. The importance of a diverse diet in infancy was acknowledged, although knowledge gaps exist in relation to its definition. Distractions were tactfully employed by mothers to assist feeding. Findings of this study have applications in developing interventions for nutritional education in the complementary feeding period. Full article