Eating Disorders and Obesity

Overview

Issues of body weight regulation, obesity and eating disorders have many mutually intertwinedand depending levels. Besides common co-morbidity and symptomatology of obesity and eatingdisorders, obesity and dieting play also an important role in the etiology of eating disorders,while diets and overeating play an important role in the development of obesity. Distorted perception of food and distorted body image as well as unsuitable eating habits and inappropriatecontrol of body weight are typical both for eating disorders and obesity. Fear of fatness hasa significant impact on the quality of human life, no matter whether it is justified or not. The fearof fatness is not only related to the actual level of obesity, but also to feelings associated with thisfear and to efforts, which are dedicated to the control of body weight and eating. The fear ofobesity has similar emotional, cognitive and behavioural consequences as real obesity.

Key words:
obesity, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa.