ESPE Abstracts

Background: Binge-consuming disorder(BE) is mental ilness where people eats large amounts of food over a short period of time with associated negative psychological problems, but wihout the compensatory behaviors. Nowadays this illness is more common in obese children.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of compulsive overeating in children with obesity.

Methods: We examined 148 children in the University Hospital (Minsk) in 2022. All children were divided into 2 groups: group 1- 84 children (44 boys (B) (BMI 30.38±4.48 kg/m2, 12.34±1.91 years) and 40 girls (G) (BMI 29.35±4.67 kg/m2, 13.68±2.35 years)) with different forms of obesity; group 1 - the control group of 64 children (32 B (BMI 30.38±4.49 kg/m2, 12.34±2.80 years) and 32 G (BMI 28,34±4,68 kg/m2, 13.68±2.37 years). All children participated in the Children's Personality Questionnaire, School Anxiety Scale (SAS), Children Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (ChEDE-Q), Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C).

Results: The Children's Personality Questionnaire showed that most children have restlessness, insecurity, impulsiveness and tension (р=0.049). School Anxiety Scale showed that all children have hight level of anxiety which may be related to relationships in the family or at school (р=0,002). According to the ChEDE-Q test, 17 children (12 G (BMI 30.1±3.15/m2, 11.87±2.31 years) and 5 B (BMI 30.37±3.87 kg/m2)) could be suspected of Binge eating desease or bulimia. According to the medical history, children do not taste the food, satiety. Based on the DSRS-C 38 children (17 G (BMI 28.34±4.68 kg/m2, 12.35±2.34 years) and 21 B BMI 31.25±3.89 kg/m2, 11.87±2.31 years) could be suspected of mild depression and 9 (5 G BMI 30.89±3.85 kg/m2, 12.95±2.27 years and 4 B BMI 33.25±1.25 kg/m2, 12,11±1.67 years) of moderate-to-severe depression (P=0.047).

Conclusions: We found that obese children more often have eating disorders, compulsive overeating and many children have high anxiety. We discovered 38 children with mild depression and 9 children with moderate depression.