Cognitive Restraint, Uncontrolled and Emotional Eating in Women With and Without Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Background: An increasing number of women in the reproductive age are suffering from a hormonal disorder called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2023), PCOS affects an estimated 8 to 13 per cent of women of reproductive age worldwide. It is to be noted that nearly 70 per cent of this remains undiagnosed. PCOS is a complex condition characterized by increase in androgen levels, irregular menstrual cycle, and/or small cysts on one or both ovaries. In addition, psychological comorbidities are common in women with PCOS. Psychological factors may contribute to eating disorders and weight gain. There is a complex interrelationship between nutritional status and endocrine status. Research has shown that diet plays an important role in the regulation of metabolism of sex steroids and Luteinising Hormone (LH) secretions. Objective: To compare eating behaviour of women with and without PCOS. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in selected areas of urban Bengaluru, Karnataka. The Three factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ), a revised 18 item tool developed by Karlsson Persson et al (2000) was used to assess the eating behaviour of the subjects. Women of age group 18-35 years suffering from PCOS (N=50) were compared with healthy women of the same age group (N=50). Results: The Body Mass Index (BMI) analysis shows that only 32 per cent of PCOS women had normal BMI compared to 48 per cent in case of Non-PCOS. It is observed that majority (68 per cent) of PCOS women have unhealthy Waist to Hip Ratio of >0.80. There was no difference in the dietary habits of the PCOS and Non-PCOS women. The eating behaviour analysed by three- factor eating indicated that emotional eating was highest in PCOS women, followed by uncontrolled eating and then cognitive eating. Conclusion: Binge eating, eating due to anxiety, depression and loneliness was more in women with PCOS as compared to control group. Keywords: 18 item TFEQ; Eating disorder; Emotional eating; Uncontrolled eating; Cognitive eating