Abstract
Night eating syndrome is an eating disorder characterized by a delay in the circadian timing of food intake, which is remarkably reduced during the first part of the day and greatly increased after dinner, frequently with awakenings characterized by nocturnal food ingestion and morning anorexia. In the absence of standard diagnostic criteria, its prevalence is difficult to estimate. According to the most agreed criteria, the disorder affects approximately 1.5 % of the general population, it is more common among obese persons and the prevalence increases with increasing adiposity. Longitudinal studies with adequate follow-up are needed to determine whether night eating contributes to weight gain and the development of obesity. The research should also aim to assess the interaction of genetic and environmental processes in the pathogenesis and in the maintenance of the disorder. There is no satisfactory treatment of night eating. Limited information is available on drug treatment (sertraline, topiramate). Lifestyle modifications aimed at weight loss are standard treatment whenever night eating is associated with obesity and have demonstrated a favorable effect, but more research is needed also in this area to optimize the protocols.
Keywords
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Learn about institutional subscriptionsAbbreviations
- BED:
-
Binge eating disorder
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- CBT:
-
Cognitive-behavioral treatment
- NES:
-
Night eating syndrome
- NEQ:
-
Night eating questionnaire
- NESHI:
-
Night eating syndrome history and inventory
- SRED:
-
Sleep-related eating disorder
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Summary points
Summary points
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Night eating syndrome (NES) is defined by the consumption of a significant proportion of total calorie intake after the evening meal, and/or nocturnal awakenings with food ingestion at least twice weekly. In addition, subjects’ awareness of the eating episode is required, as a cause of distress or impaired functioning.
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The clinical features of NES are evening hyperphagia, nocturnal eating with insomnia and morning anorexia, i.e. a disruption of the circadian eating/sleeping pattern.
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Diagnostic criteria are provisional and there is an urgent need of validated criteria for comparison between different studies and for defining NES in the spectrum of eating disorders.
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The prevalence of NES is larger in obesity compared to non-obese population, but its role in obesity development is not proven.
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Retrospective reports suggest that NES follows a chronic course, exacerbated by stressful life situations.
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There is no satisfactory treatment of NES. Research is needed to develop more effective treatments of both NES symptoms and NES-associated obesity.
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Marchesini, G., Calugi, S., Marzocchi, R., Grave, R.D. (2013). Night eating syndrome in obesity. In: Preedy, V.R., Patel, V.B., Le, LA. (eds) Handbook of nutrition, diet and sleep. Human Health Handbooks, vol 3. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-763-9_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-763-9_7
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