Induction of food craving experience; the role of mental imagery, dietary restraint, mood and coping strategies / Inducción de la experiencia de «food craving»; papel de las imágenes mentales, restricción dietética, humor y estrategias de afrontamiento

Introduction: Food craving consists of a strong motivational state whereby a person is driven to seek and ingest a specifically desired food. Objectives: To explore the influence of mental imagery on the food craving experience as well as to analyse the role of different psychological variables. Methods: Participants consisted of 65 normal weight undergraduate students. An experimental induction of food craving was analysed considering the actual previous craving and the induced one as a state food craving. Measures of trait food craving, imaging ability, dietary restraint, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies were considered. Results: Sweet foods in general and chocolate in particular were the most craved foods. During the induction thoughts and images were the most highly rated triggers, and all the different sensory modalities were involved. Anxiety, depression, and negative coping strategies influenced the results with regards to the food craving. Discussion: This study confirms the role of mental imagery, the correlation between state and trait food craving, and the influence of different psychological variables on the food craving (AU)

Introducción: El food craving se define como un fuerte estado motivacional por el que una persona se ve impulsada a buscar e ingerir un alimento específicamente deseado. Objetivos: Explorar la influencia de las imágenes mentales sobre la experiencia de food craving, así como analizar el papel de diferentes variables psicológicas. Métodos: Los participantes fueron 65 estudiantes de pregrado de peso normal. Se analizó un modelo de provocación experimental de food craving teniendo en cuenta el deseo real previo al experimento y el inducido durante el mismo como medida de estado. Medidas de food craving habitual, capacidad de formación de imágenes, restricción dietética, ansiedad, depresión y estrategias de afrontamiento fueron consideradas. Resultados: Los alimentos dulces en general y el chocolate, en particular, fueron los alimentos más ansiados. Durante la inducción, los pensamientos y las imágenes fueron los desencadenantes más potentes y todas las modalidades sensoriales estuvieron involucradas. Las variables ansiedad, depresión y estrategias de afrontamiento negativas influyeron en los resultados con respecto al food craving inducido. Discusión: Este estudio confirma el papel de las imágenes mentales, la correlación entre estado y rasgo de food craving y la influencia de diferentes variables psicológicas en el mismo (AU)

Lipid profile and cardiovascular risk in anorexia nervosa; the effect of nutritional treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the lipid profile in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), and the changes with refeeding. METHODS: The sample comprised 102 AN outpatients (mean age 22.32 ± 3.17). Blood tests, after 12-hour overnight fast, were performed before refeeding (M(0)) and after weight restoration (M(1)). Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides (TRG) were determined and the following cardiovascular risk markers were calculated: LDL/HDL and TC/HDL ratios. These cut-off points were considered: TC < 200 mg/dl; HDL > 40 mg/dl; LDL < 100 mg/dl and TRG < 150 mg/dl. RESULTS: The time leading to weight restoration was 8.16 ± 7.35 months. Considering patients with scores higher and lower than the corresponding cut-off points, X²-test revealed a significant difference (M(0)-M(1)) in case of TC (p < 0.05) as well as between LDL/HDL(0) and LDL/HDL(1) (p < 0.05) and between TC/HDL(0) and TC/HDL(1) (p < 0.01). Significant differences were found between HDL(0) and HDL(1) (p < 0.01) and between TRG(0) and TRG(1) (p < 0.01). Significant and negative associations between BMI(0) and TC(0) (r = -0.331; p < 0.05) and between TRG(0) and HDL(0) (r = -0.387; p < 0.05) were found. The association between TRG(1) and LDL(1) was significant and positive. DISCUSSION: Weight restoration tends to decrease the TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios despite a considerable percentage of patients maintain scores on the different variables of the lipid profile usually considered at risk.

Lipid profile and cardiovascular risk in anorexia nervosa; the effect of nutritional treatment / Perfil lipídico y riesgo cardiovascular en anorexia nerviosa; efecto del tratamiento nutricional

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the lipid profile in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), and the changes with refeeding. Methods: The sample comprised 102 AN outpatients (mean age 22.32 ± 3.17). Blood tests, after 12-hour overnight fast, were performed before refeeding (M0) and after weight restoration (M1). Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides (TRG) were determined and the following cardiovascular risk markers were calculated: LDL/HDL and TC/HDL ratios. These cut-off points were considered: TC < 200 mg/dl; HDL > 40 mg/dl; LDL < 100 mg/dl and TRG < 150 mg/dl. Results: The time leading to weight restoration was 8.16 ± 7.35 months. Considering patients with scores higher and lower than the corresponding cut-off points, X2-test revealed a significant difference (M0-M1) in case of TC (p < 0.05) as well as between LDL/HDL0 and LDL/HDL1 (p < 0.05) and between TC/HDL0 and TC/HDL1 (p < 0.01). Significant differences were found between HDL0 and HDL1 (p < 0.01) and between TRG0 and TRG1 (p < 0.01). Significant and negative associations between BMI0 and TC0 (r = -0.331; p < 0.05) and between TRG0 and HDL0 (r = -0.387; p < 0.05) were found. The association between TRG1 and LDL1 was significant and positive. Discussion: Weight restoration tends to decrease the TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios despite a considerable percentage of patients maintain scores on the different variables of the lipid profile usually considered at risk (AU)

Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar el perfil lipídico en pacientes con anorexia nerviosa (AN) y los cambios con la realimentación. Métodos: Se estudiaron 102 pacientes ambulatorios con AN (edad media de 22,32 ± 3,17). Se determinaron en sangre, tras de 12 horas en ayunas, antes de la realimentación (M0) y después de la recuperación del peso (M1), colesterol total (CT), lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDL), lipoproteínas de baja densidad (LDL) y triglicéridos (TRG) y se calcularon los siguientes marcadores de riesgo cardiovascular: LDL/HDL y CT/HDL ratios. Se consideraron los siguientes puntos de corte: CT < 200 mg/dl, HDL > 40 mg/dl, LDL <100 mg/dl y TRG < 150 mg/dl. Resultados: El tiempo para la recuperación del peso fue de 8,16 ± 7,35 meses. Teniendo en cuenta los pacientes con puntuaciones superiores e inferiores a los correspondientes puntos de corte, el test de Χ2 reveló una diferencia significativa (M0-M1) en el caso de CT (p < 0,05), así como entre LDL/HDL0 y LDL/HDL1 (p < 0,05) y entre TC/HDL0 y TC/HDL1 (p < 0,01). Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre el HDL0 y HDL1 (p < 0,01) y entre TRG0 y TRG1 (p < 0,01). Se obtuvieron asociaciones significativas y negativas entre BMI0 y CT0 (r = -0,331, p < 0,05) y entre TRG0 y HDL0 (r = -0,387, p < 0,05) se encontraron. La asociación entre TRG1 y LDL1 fue significativa y positiva. Debate: La recuperación del peso tiende a disminuir los índices TC/HDL y LDL/HDL a pesar de que un considerable porcentaje de pacientes mantiene puntuaciones en las distintas variables del perfil lipídico generalmente consideradas de riesgo (AU)

Induction of food craving experience: the role of mental imagery, dietary restraint, mood and coping strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Food craving consists of a strong motivational state whereby a person is driven to seek and ingest a specifically desired food. OBJECTIVES: To explore the influence of mental imagery on the food craving experience as well as to analyse the role of different psychological variables. METHODS: Participants consisted of 65 normal weight undergraduate students. An experimental induction of food craving was analysed considering the actual previous craving and the induced one as a state food craving. Measures of trait food craving, imaging ability, dietary restraint, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies were considered. RESULTS: Sweet foods in general and chocolate in particular were the most craved foods. During the induction thoughts and images were the most highly rated triggers, and all the different sensory modalities were involved. Anxiety, depression, and negative coping strategies influenced the results with regards to the food craving. DISCUSSION: This study confirms the role of mental imagery, the correlation between state and trait food craving, and the influence of different psychological variables on the food craving.