Association of body composition and eating behavior in the normal weight obese syndrome

Aim: Our aim was to identify psychological and behavioral characteristics of women affected by normal weight obese (NWO) syndrome. Methods: Anthropometric, body composition, eating behavior and physical activity were evaluated in 79 women. Results: 48.10 % of the subjects were found to be normalweight obese (NWO), 22.79 % normalweight lean (NWL), and 29.11 % pre-obese-obese (PreOB/OB) according to BMI and body composition. Significant differences (p < 0.001) among the groups were identified on analysis of the subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), suggesting progressively increased presence of psychopathology relative to body composition. In a further analysis, results of the subscales of the EDI-2 were compared with body composition parameters, revealing that BMI co-varied with body composition variables and psychological responses. %TBFat co-varied exclusively with body composition variables (height, weight, BMI, KgTBFat, and a decrease of KgTBLean (R2 = 0.96; Q2 = 0.94). The NWO was discriminated from PreOB/OB group (compared to BMI) only on the basis of body composition variables (R2 = 0.68; Q2 = 0.60). Conclusion: NWO women appeared to find themselves at a cognitive crossroads, attaining intermediate scores on the EDI-2 between normal weight lean women and pre-obese or obese women, in particular in terms of drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction. The NWO syndrome not only conveys an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, but may also significantly overlap with other eating disorders in terms of psychological symptomatology, the correct identification of which may be the key in the successful management of these patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01890070