Eating Attitudes From a Cardiometabolic Risk Perspective: Psoriasis Sample

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to compare psoriasis patients with healthy controls in terms of impaired eating attitudes and to investigate the relationship of eating attitudes with cardiometabolic and clinical parameters, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Methods: 45 psoriasis patients and 45 healthy controls were included in the study. Personal and clinical information form, eating attitude test (EAT-40), body mass index (BMI) and MetS criteria were used for all participants. Psoriasis patients were evaluated with clinical information form, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), dermatological quality of life index (DQLI), psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Results: The data of the patient and control groups differed in terms of doing sports, impaired EAT, BMI groups, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Abnormal eating attitudes such as negative body image, inability to control oneself in eating, overeating, and some restrictive attitudes were significantly higher in the psoriasis group. Overeating, overeating or stress-induced emotional eating, presence of MetS, weight dissatisfaction, frequent dieting to lose weight, some compensatory behaviours, and loss of self-control were significantly higher in patients with BMI>25. EAT points; showed a positive moderate correlation with BMI and HAD-Anxiety. DQLI results; showed a moderate positive correlation with HADAnxiety and PASI scores. Conclusion: Our study is the first to reveal what kind of disordered eating attitudes are at risk for cardiometabolic diseases in psoriasis patients. In psoriasis patients, the rate of not being able to control their eating behaviour is high. Our results primarily highlight the relationship that can be explained by autonomic reactivity between anxiety and difficulty resisting food cravings. Professional support including psychoeducational, cognitive behavioural therapy, and acceptance-based therapies should be provided to reduce maladaptive reactions and anxiety by improving self-regulation skills.