PREVALENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF EXCESSIVE CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION IN AUSTRIA

Among disorders of appetite and eating frequent craving of carbohydrat e containing snacks between meals is well known. Excessive carbohydrat e consumption causes increased caloric intake and may lead to overweig ht and risks of obesity regarding metabolism and vascular remodelling. Up to now prevalence and consequences of that disorder have never bee n studied in the Austrian population. Hence we investigated by questio nnaires and interviews eating habits in samples of 1058 women and 942 men of the Austrian population. Evaluation showed that carbohydrate cr aving is a more or less serious problem for about 30% of Austrians. Wo men, especially those with overweight, were affected more frequently t han men. In the whole population sample investigated there was a seaso nal variation with a tendency to increased carbohydrate craving in fal l and winter. This was, however, not significant for overweight women, they probably eat their snacks over the whole year. A subgroup of mal es reported craving of snacks containing sausage or meat instead of ca rbohydrate. Craving of carbohydrate is considered the consequence of a decrease of serotonin in appetite regulating neurons and centers of t he brain. Treatment of craving by drugs inhibiting the re-uptake of se rotonin into afferant neurons is discussed. Medication of this type is , however, hampered by cardiovascular sideeffects observed with fenflu ramines.