Frecuencia del trastorno compulsivo alimentario en pacientes con obesidad atendidos en la Clínica del Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo.

Abstract

Compulsive eating disorder worsens obesity and compromises overall health; quantifying its frequency in local clinical settings underpins timely, evidencebased preventive and therapeutic measures. Objective: To determine the frequency of binge-eating disorder among patients treated at the Obesity Clinic of Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital, 2024. Methodology: Descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional design; probabilistic sample of 40 obese adults seen March–April 2025; data gathered with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire; percentage analysis in Excel and SPSS; strict observance of fundamental bioethical principles. Results: Most participants were 26–35 years old (35%) and female (53%); 42.5% were single, 55% had university education, and 90 % lacked documented psychological diagnoses. All exhibited obesity: type II 47.5%, type I 42.5%, type III 10%. Concerning conscious control, 67.5% failed to resist enticing sensory cues, though 65% stopped eating upon reaching their caloric quota. In the disinhibition domain, 72.5% reported urgent hunger and 77.5% recurrent failed diets, evidencing oscillation between restriction and overeating. Hunger susceptibility revealed 45% felt almost constant appetite and 52.5% seldom skipped dessert despite satiety. Overall, 80 % displayed at least one emotional-eating indicator, and 61% showed low daytime restriction with nocturnal loss of control. Conclusion: The high prevalence of compulsive eating behaviors confirms binge-eating disorder as a significant concern among the obese patients studied.