Effects of an Educational Program of Physical Exercise and Nutrition in Overweight or Obese Adults Suffering from Binge Eating Disorder

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effects of an educational program of exercise and nutrition in overweight or obese binge eating adults on body composition, physical fitness and biochemical parameters. Being educational, the program also aimed to promote learning and self-control in the practice of physical activity and in the food choices of this population. Methodology: 40 patients overweight or obese binge eating adults aged between 30 and 60 years participated in the study. Participants were assigned to an experimental group (EG) (N = 23), to which the program was applied or a control group (CG) (N = 17). The study lasted eight months, where an initial and final evaluation was carried out, in order to verify the benefits obtained through this program. The program consisted of 47 one-hour, twice-a-week group practice sessions, one weekly self-help session, and three nutritional monitoring sessions throughout the program. Results: There were significant improvements in the experimental group in the body composition, namely in the percentage of fat mass, fat free mass, fat mass in the trunk, visceral index and metabolic age. In physical fitness, improvements were also seen in the experimental group, specifically in flexibility and handgrip strength. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary program involving regular physical exercise and nutritional educationled to achieve improvements in physical fitness and body composition in overweight and obese binge-eating disorder patients.