Night eating linked to psychiatric patient

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Night eating linked to psychiatric patient

By UPI

Jan 2, 2006, 19:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, PA, United States (UPI) -- Night eating syndrome is a

common disorder among psychiatric outpatients that is associated

with substance use and obesity, says a U.S. study.

Night eating syndrome is a condition that is characterized by two

main features: excessive eating in the evening -- hyperphagia -- and

nocturnal awakening with ingestion of food. Its prevalence has been

estimated to be 1.5 percent in the general population and 8.9

percent in an obesity clinic.

'This is the first study that looks at the connection between

psychiatric conditions and night eating syndrome,' said lead author

D. Lundgren of the University of Pennsylvania School of

Medicine. 'Night eating syndrome is often associated with life

stress and depression, so we were particularly interested in looking

at the prevalence of the condition in this population.'

The findings, by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

and the University of Minnesota, are published in the American

Journal of Psychiatry.