In Western culture, food has become a significant mood-regulating tool and a kind of symbol that accompanies a variety of activities. At the same time, this has led to an increase in the incidence of eating disorders with a diverse picture. Irrespective of their specificity, at their root is primarily a loss of control over eating, with one important consequence being psychophysical stress. Night eating syndrome has not yet been officially recognised as an eating disorder, but it meets the basic criteria and affects a significant number of people.
Causes
Night eating syndrome appears to result from a combination of biological, genetic and emotional factors:
- a familial occurrence of the disorder is observed, which argues for a genetic tendency,
- a characteristic diurnal pattern associated with a decrease in serotonin levels is observed in people with night eating syndrome, suggesting that neuroendocrine disorders are one possible cause of the syndrome,
- as the food preference of people with this disorder is primarily for carbohydrates, which stimulate the brain to secrete mood-enhancing biochemicals, it is thought that the night eating syndrome may be an unconscious attempt to self-medicate a mood disorder,
- it is not definitively resolved whether stress is a cause or merely a trigger for nocturnal overeating.
photo: panthermedia
However, there is no doubt that it plays a very important role in this regard. Studies have shown that people suffering from this disorder have a slightly different pattern of hormonal response to stress than the rest of us. Namely, in response to a stressor, the release of characteristic hormones is negligible and occurs gradually, as opposed to the typical response, where a significant amount of hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol, thyroxine are released in a relatively short period of time.
Treatment
- behavioural techniques are the basis, involving an appropriate distribution of meals during the day so as to avoid an increased need for calories in the evening,
- all stress-reducing techniques are effective. Studies have shown that 20 minutes of muscle relaxation significantly reduces stress indicators such as feelings of anxiety and salivary cortisol levels. After 2 weeks of daily relaxation, the study patients showed, among other things: a reduction in psychophysical tension, anxiety, anger, fatigue, depression. The amount of food eaten in the morning increased significantly in them, while the amount eaten in the evening and at night decreased,
- serotonin reuptake inhibitors show promise.
