Cognitive distortions in obese patients with or without eating disorders.

In the normal weight population, cognitive distortions are more often found in people with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia than in a control population. With these cognitive distortions, weight and body image become central elements in self-esteem. This exploratory study investigated cognitive distortions in obese patients suffering from binge eating disorder or not. The hypothesis was that the patients suffering from binge eating disorder would have more cognitive distortions. Twenty-nine obese women (11 without and 18 with binge eating disorder) and 13 non-obese female controls were selected. To evaluate the cognitive distortions, subjects completed the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions-Revised (MAC-R) questionnaire. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no difference in evidence between the two obese groups with or without eating disorders. Possible perspectives for treatment are discussed.