Abstract
Objectives: Obesity is related to psychological problems as well as physical problems. This study was designed to investigate the eating attitude and depression of females who participated in a fasting therapy. They were considered to have many eating attitude and psychological problems. Methods: 59 females were selected, they were admitted in Woosuk university hospital of oriental medicine(from August 1st, 2000 to July 31th, 2001) and 42 females were selected, they were college students of Woosuk university, Jeonju, Korea. We checked height, weight and administerd the Korean Eating Attitudes Test-26(KEAT-26), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and questions about binge-eating, smoking, drinking, exercise and body weight-wanted to females in two groups. Results: In fasting women group, 2(3.39%) were underweight, 24(40.68%) were average. The average of KEAT-26 in fasting women group$(13.33{\pm}7.65)$ was higher than that in college women group$(4.76{\pm}5.54)$(p<0.001). In fasting women group, 5(8.47%) had mild eating problem, 4(6.78%) had moderate eating problem, and 5(8.47%) had severe eating problem. In fasting women group, 47(79.66%) said 'yes' at the question(A-1, DSM-IV bulimia nervosa diagnosis), 33(55.93%) said 'yes' at the question(A-2, DSM-IV bulimia nervosa diagnosis) about binge eating. In fasting women group, 14(23.73%) had used vomiting, 13(22.03%) enemas, 27(45.76%) laxatives, 7(11.86%) diuretics, 6(10.17%) other drugs, 38(64.41%) fasting, 15(25.42%) severe exercise, and others 2(3.39%) to reduce their weight. The average of BDI in fasting women group$(12.44{\pm}6.70)$ was higher than that in college women group$(7.47{\pm}5.48)$(p<0.001). In fasting women group, 10(16.95%) had mild depression problem, 4(6.78%) had moderate depression problem, and 3(5.08%) had severe depression problem. In fasting women group, 41(64.49%) had under 5Kg-gap, and 18(30.51%) has over 5Kg-gap between weight-reasonable and weight-wanted. In 26 fasting women who were underweight or average-weight, 14 had over 5Kg-gap. Conclusions: These results suggest that the females who participated in a fasting therapy had many depression and eating problems, and we should pay attention to the eating disorders and psychological problems including depression as well as the physical problems when we treat obesity.