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Contributions of psychology and nutrition to the change of eating behavior

The study evaluated the impact of a psychoeducational group focused on change in eating behavior over nutritional and psychological aspects of the participants. The sample consisted of 11 subjects of both genders, among which were students from the University of Brasília, as well as employees and their legal dependents, all aged from 18 to 70 years. The techniques of the focus group, epidemiological questionnaire, food frequency and the measurement of weight and height were all applied to the study. The results confirmed the prevalence of depression and anxiety as psychological factors that influence the change in eating behavior and the relevance of a multi-professional action by psychoeducational groups as a way of modifying the patient's lifestyle and getting more effective therapeutic responses. Furthermore, a reduction on the consumption of food pertaining to the groups of sugar and of milk and its derivatives was also verified. Finally, the average weight of participants decreased during the experiment.

psychology; nutrition; nursing; eating behavior; psychoeducational group


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