Night Eating Syndrome

Excerpt

Night eating syndrome (NES) is a type of eating disorder related to eating after dinner and when awake at night. It was first discovered by Wolff, Stunkard, and Grace in a group of patients seeking weight loss treatment. The syndrome was identified when their patients reported consuming a caloric intake of 25% or more at night during the time patients without obesity were not eating. Night eating syndrome is characterized by at least three of the following symptoms: strong urge to eat between dinner and sleep, anorexia in the morning and/or during the night, maintenance or sleep onset insomnia, depressed mood, evening mood worsening, and the belief that one cannot sleep without eating.