Food imbalances and other factors

2003/06/01 Andonegi Beristain, Garazi - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Dietetika/Elikagaiak

Anorexia, bulimia, and other diseases are serious eating disorders. So serious that several researchers look for the causes that are hidden in the origin of these diseases. The level of social demand, slavery to the image and other social factors have been cited so far as actors, but recently other variables have been incorporated.

In fact, a team of psychiatrists and psychologists from the UPV/EHU Department of Neuroscience has been investigating the influence that alexithymia and depression can have on food imbalances to later determine the factors to consider in the treatment of patients.

Alexithymia and occult depression

Alexithymia is a rebellion that has long been investigated and is considered a characteristic of some people. They have difficulty interpreting their feelings, and they don't find a way to express them. Symptoms of depression are, in most cases, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, and lack of instruction.

The researchers have sought the relationship of these two factors with various serious food imbalances (anorexia, bulimia…), for which they have worked with 103 patients. These patients were hospitalized at the Santiago Apostol Hospital and the Ortuella Mental Health Center.

First, several questionnaires were made to patients, especially to check if they had alexithymia and depression. For this purpose, 3 types of tests were used: the test of a prestigious Toronto group (TAS) and one created at the UPV (YAS) to investigate alexithymia, and the Hamilton 17 to analyze depression. All the results have been analyzed below and we have tried to find a conclusion or relationship with each question.

When interpreting the results of these questionnaires, researchers focused on the diagnosis of patients (bulimia, anorexia nervosa...), body mass index (BMI), age, etc.

Results to dream

The results indicate that, despite requiring deeper studies, patients with food imbalances have a subclinical depression, a low depression, so to speak. Psychologists have concluded that the symptoms of depression are several, but not all, and therefore have a hidden depression.

Moreover, it cannot be said that alexithymia or depression has a higher incidence in bulimic or anorexic patients. And finally, another conclusion is that the greater the ability to dream, the easier the healing of patients.

Yes, if the patient has the ability to be cured, to imagine himself healthy and to do things that are out of the disease, he heals faster.

Therefore, we must always look at the positive side, which is what helps, at least when it comes to psychology.

• Project title Imbalances
  and emotions in food.
• Objective To
  measure the impact of alexithymia and depression on food imbalances.
• Principal Investigators
  Luis Yllá Segura, Asunción Gonzalez-Pinto Arrillaga.
• Working Group
  Luis Yllá Segura, Asunción Gonzalez-Pinto Arrillaga, Virginia Guillen Cañas.
• Department of
  Neurosciences (Department of Psychiatry).
• •
  Medicine and Dentistry (Leioa)
• •