Abstract Background Loss of control over eating is a key feature of the most prevalent eating disorders. The Loss of Control over Eating Scale (LOCES) enables a thorough assessment of loss of control over eating. Objective This study empirically evaluated the translation of the LOCES from English to Brazilian Portuguese. Methods The scale was translated to Brazilian Portuguese and back translated to English in order to check accuracy of the translation. Two hundred and ninety-three medicine and nursing students, 60 males and 233 females, 18-55 years old, with mean body mass index (BMI) 23.2 kg/m2 (SD 4.1), recruited between August and December 2014, answered the Brazilian Portuguese LOCES. An exploratory factor analysis was performed. Results Exploratory factor analysis of the Brazilian Portuguese LOCES showed three distinct factors of the loss of control over eating (disgust/negative sensations, cognitive experiences/dissociation, and “positive” effects) as well as moderate consistency with previous reports of exploratory factor analysis of the English version. Discussion This study showed satisfactory translation of the LOCES from English to Brazilian Portuguese, which is now ready for further validation.

Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram: fornecer uma avaliação do progresso da epidemiologia na área de transtornos alimentares, desde estudos sobre incidência e prevalência até os estudos comunitários prospectivos, bem como estudos caso-controle; sintetizar o atual estado da incidência e prevalência dos transtornos alimentares; discutir os estudos epidemiológicos analíticos sobre os transtornos alimentares, enfocando estudos comunitários sobre fatores de risco e nosologia; e apontar as áreas de estudos futuros, especialmente sobre a carga social e econômica e o grau de "conhecimento sobre saúde mental" da população em geral a respeito das pessoas com transtornos alimentares. Apesar dos problemas para identificar e recrutar um número suficiente de pessoas com anorexia nervosa e os métodos variáveis de recrutamento de casos, os estudos sobre incidência e prevalência dos transtornos alimentares atingiram um consenso e em geral não corroboram uma incidência ascendente atual, exceto, possivelmente, por um pequeno aumento na anorexia nervosa em mulheres jovens. A aplicação de métodos epidemiológicos analíticos permitiu uma compreensão melhor dos fatores ambientais e genéticos, em comparação com os sociais e econômicos, quanto ao risco de desenvolvimento de transtornos alimentares, bem como ajudaram no refinamento da nosologia desses transtornos. Futuramente, a epidemiologia analítica terá potencial para responder a questões-chave sobre a natureza e os determinantes dos transtornos alimentares e para ajudar a decidir como auxiliar os que mais necessitem.

The present paper aims were: to provide an overview of development of epidemiology in the area of eating disorders, from studies of incidence and prevalence, through to community based prospective as well as case controlled studies; to summarise the current status of incidence and prevalence of eating disorders; to discuss analytic epidemiological studies of eating disorders, with a focus on community-based studies of risk factors and nosology; and to point to future areas for study, notably the social and economic burden and general population "mental health literacy" of people with eating disorders. In spite of problems in identifying and recruiting sufficient numbers of people with anorexia nervosa and variable methods of case-ascertainment, studies of incidence and prevalence of eating disorders have reached a general consensus and do not in general support a current rising incidence, except possibly a small increase in anorexia nervosa in young women. The application of analytic epidemiologic methods has lead to a greater understanding of environmental and genetic factors, as compared with social and economic factors, to the risk of developing eating disorders, and as well aided the refinement of eating disorder nosology. In the future analytic epidemiology has the potential to answer key questions about the nature and determinants of eating disorders, and to help to decide how to help those who need it most.

As duas abordagens terapêuticas mais estudadas para o tratamento da bulimia nervosa (BN) são os tratamentos psicológicos, principalmente a terapia cognitivo-comportamental (TCC) e o uso de antidepressivos. Os resultados de duas revisões sistemáticas da literatura mostram que a TCC é melhor que fila de espera e que os antidepressivos são superiores ao placebo na remissão a curto prazo dos sintomas bulímicos. A comparação direta das duas abordagens mostra que, quando usados como abordagens exclusivas, a TCC é clinicamente mais eficaz e mais aceita do que os antidepressivos. A associação dos dois tipos de tratamento é clinicamente mais eficaz que cada um isoladamente, mas a aceitação das abordagens psicológicas exclusivas é maior. Como a BN é um transtorno grave e com baixa taxa de remissão espontânea, o tratamento associado, com abordagem multidimensional e multidisciplinar, pode ser indicado.

Psychological treatments, mainly cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and the use of antidepressant medications are the modalities of treatment that have received the most empirical support in controlled studies. The results of two systematic reviews show that CBT is better then waiting list control and antidepressants are superior to placebo for the short term remission in bulimic symptoms. Direct comparisons of both treatments show that single CBT is clinically more effective and better accepted than single antidepressants. The combination of CBT with antidepressants is clinically more effective than each single approach, but acceptability of single psychological treatments is better. As BN is a serious mental disorder and spontaneous remission rates are low, the combined treatment, including a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach, may be indicated.