The role of enteroceptive awareness in eating disorders: A study on a group of binge eaters

Introduction Enteroceptive awareness is defined as the ability to perceive the body states. Such ability is provided by the enteroceptors, organs and structures specifically designated to receive both internal and external stimuli. This capability, especially the perception of satiation, seems to be lacking in individuals suffering from Eating Disorders and there is no procedure to increase this ability. Objectives The primary purpose is to improve patient's enteroceptive awareness. We tested whether patients diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED), while deprived of eyesight, would better focus on their internal signals, such as the satiation feeling, and therefore eat less and slower. Methods For the first time, 29 patients with BED were deprived of vision during a meal. In a standardized procedure, participants ate two different meals, the first one while deprived of eyesight, the second one, a week later, in normal conditions. Both the amount of eaten food and the total time to complete the meal were taken into account during each of the meals. The patients filled in a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire at the end of each meal, in order to evaluate the experience and their internal feelings. Results The results show that patients suffering from BED, when deprived of eyesight, eat less food, take more time to finish the meal and experience the same level of satiation with respect to the normal condition. Conclusion This procedure could be of great interest for the implementation of specific intervention protocols that are aimed at the recovery of enteroceptive awareness in patients with eating disorders.