Pilot Study on the Homeopathic Treatment of Binge Eating in Males.
Altern Ther Health Med
; 22 Suppl 1: 8-13, 2016 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27089525
ABSTRACT
Context ⢠Frequent binge eating is often a symptom of an underlying eating disorder, such as bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED). The role of homeopathy in the treatment of binge eating remains poorly explored. Objective ⢠The study intended to measure the efficacy of individualized homeopathic treatment for binge eating in adult males. Design ⢠This case study was a 9-wk pilot using an embedded, mixed-methods design. A 3-wk baseline period was followed by a 6-wk treatment period. Setting ⢠The setting was the Homeopathic Health Clinic at the University of Johannesburg in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants ⢠Through purposive sampling, the research team recruited 15 Caucasian, male participants, aged 18-45 y, who were exhibiting binge eating. Intervention ⢠Individualized homeopathic remedies were prescribed to each participant. Primary Outcome Measures ⢠Participants were assessed by means of (1) a self-assessment calendar (SAC), recording the frequency and intensity of binging; (2) the Binge Eating Scale (BES), a psychometric evaluation of severity; and (3) case analysis evaluating changes with time. Results ⢠Ten participants completed the study. The study found a statistically significant improvement with regard to the BES (P = .003) and the SAC (P = .006), with a large effect size, indicating that a decrease occurred in the severity and frequency of binging behavior during the study period. Conclusions ⢠This small study showed the potential benefits of individualized homeopathic treatment of binge eating in males, decreasing both the frequency and severity of binging episodes. Follow-up studies are recommended to explore this treatment modality as a complementary therapeutic option in eating disorders characterized by binge eating.
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Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Materia Medica
/
Binge-Eating Disorder
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Altern Ther Health Med
Year:
2016
Type:
Article