Stress and eating disorders | [Stress e disturbi alimentari psicogeni]

Incidence and prevalence of Eating Disorders (ED) have considerably increased in the last decades. Many Authors have investigated the possible factors involved in their etiopathogenesis and the possible role of stress in the onset and maintenance of these disorders. The present article reviews the available evidence on the relationship between stress, events, HPA axis and eating disorders. In conclusion, starving and malnutrition of anorexic and bulimic patients, as well as hyperphagia of binge eaters and obese subjects, can promote an HPA axis alteration. However, the nutritional status itself can't explain these abnormalities and studies on patients after weight recovery support this finding. It remains unclear if intrinsic psychopathological characteristics of ED may promote HPA axis dysfunction, or rather if the disturbed eating behaviours (starving, binge eating, vomiting) or their consequences are the main factors involved in these endocrine alterations.