Psychological, Morphological, and Dietary Aspects of Eating Disorders in Youth

Abstract

The authors studied the psychological features, body composition, and nutritional parameters in girls with eating disorders. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of 65 female individuals living in the city of Barnaul. The average age of participants was 18.6 ± 1.04 years. The Dutch questionnaire on food behavior was used to study eating behavior. To estimate the severity of the characteristics inherent in eating disorders, we used the “Eating behavior rating scale.” The mental state was studied using a clinical and psychological test – a questionnaire for the severity of psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90-R). Essential nutrition was estimated relying on the frequency analysis using the computer program “Analysis of human nutritional status.” Body composition was evaluated by using the apparatus for bioimpedanceometry ABC-01 “Medass.” As a result of the study, in all groups of girls with eating disorders, we indicated higher values on the scales reflecting the pursuit of thinness, bulimia, interoceptive incompetence, somatization, depression, anxiety, and psychoticism. As eating disorders worsened, and the total fat, mono- and disaccharides, and added saccharide increased. A change in psychological features accompanies eating disorders in girls. Eating disorders were expressed by the increasing average daily energy consumption, total fat, mono- and disaccharides, and added saccharide. The imbalance in the consumption of fats and simple carbohydrates did not affect the body fat mass in any way, either in absolute or in relative units.