Non-medicinal correction of eating behavior in obese adolescents

AIMS: to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic therapy (TCM) and combined transcranial magnetic laser therapy (TCLM) in correcting eating behavior in obese adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 adolescents aged 12-15 years with exogenous constitutional obesity were examined. The assessment of indicators of physical and sexual development, indicators of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, hormonal status, types of eating disorders and appetite was carried out. All patients were trained in nutrition and physical activity management. By simple randomization, the patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (n=25) received 10 sessions of transcranial magnetic therapy (TCM), group 2 (n= 25) received 10 sessions of transcranial magnetic laser therapy (TCM), and the comparison group (n=10) did not receive physical therapy. A follow-up examination using the above algorithm was conducted three months later.

RESULTS: Initially, 40% (24) of obese adolescents had hyperinsulinemia, 28% (17) had insulin resistance, and 30% (18) had hypercholesterolemia. According to DEBQ, 84% (50) of patients had various types of eating disorders, with combined types prevailing. According to the visual analog scale of appetite sensation, obese patients had an acute feeling of hunger on an empty stomach, insufficient feeling of satiety and fullness of the stomach after eating. After 3 months, patients who received a course of hardware correction of eating behavior in the form of TCM and TCLM showed a decrease in appetite and a prolongation of the feeling of satiety on a visual analog scale. This contributed to a decrease in the patients' body mass index and normalization of metabolic status.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of transcranial methods in the complex therapy of obese patients helps to strengthen cognitive control over food intake, which eliminates overeating as a factor in the development and progression of obesity.