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A Systematic Review of Physical Activity Interventions in Individuals with Binge Eating Disorders

  • Psychological Issues (V Drapeau and S Sogg, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Our systematic review aims to assess the overall evidence available in the literature regarding the role of physical activity (PA) in individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) and better understand the potential underlying mechanisms of action.

Recent Findings

Currently, the most effective and well-established psychological treatment for BED is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a remission rate around 80%. CBT is sometimes combined with pharmacotherapy targeting comorbidities associated with BED, such as obesity and depression. Another avenue of treatment that has been less studied is PA. It has been suggested that PA addresses the underlying mechanisms of BED and, thus, increases treatment efficiency.

Summary

This systematic review provides additional knowledge concerning the benefits of PA in the treatment of individuals with BED including reduction of binge eating (BE) episodes and improvement in other associated comorbidities. Potential mechanisms of action of PA include neurochemical alterations affecting the reward system, reduction of negative affect, and its anorexigenic effects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département des Sciences de l’activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada

    Claudine Blanchet & Audrey St-Laurent

  2. Département de kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Marie-Ève Mathieu

  3. Centre intégré universitaire en santé et services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada

    Shirley Fecteau

  4. Département des Sciences infirmières, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Lévis, QC, Canada

    Nathalie St-Amour

  5. Programme de traitement des troubles du comportement alimentaire, Clinique St-Amour, Lévis, QC, Canada

    Nathalie St-Amour

  6. Département d’éducation physique, PEPS, Université Laval, 2300, rue de la Terrasse, suite 2214, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Vicky Drapeau

  7. Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada

    Vicky Drapeau

  8. Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF), Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada

    Vicky Drapeau

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  1. Claudine Blanchet
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  2. Marie-Ève Mathieu
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Correspondence to Vicky Drapeau.

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Claudine Blanchet, Marie-Ève Mathieu, Audrey St-Laurent, Shirley Fecteau, Nathalie St-Amour, and Vicky Drapeau declare they have no conflict of interest.

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Blanchet, C., Mathieu, MÈ., St-Laurent, A. et al. A Systematic Review of Physical Activity Interventions in Individuals with Binge Eating Disorders. Curr Obes Rep 7, 76–88 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0295-x

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