Abstract
Sexual and eating behaviors have a double common matrix from a psychological and neurophysiological perspective. Psychoanalysis has linked the concept of libido to the concept of hunger, highlighting the same function of these primary instincts, i.e., satisfaction. Moreover, the same neuroanatomic areas, localized in the hypothalamic regions, are involved in the regulation of sexuality and alimentation. Therefore, the pathological declinations of these basilar behaviors inevitably regard alimentation and sexual function, as in anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder (BED), and also obesity. In fact, many studies have investigated the relationship between alimentation disorders and sexual problems, with particular attention given to differential analysis between obese people with or without binge eating disorder, pointing to emotional and psychopathological aspects characterizing these patients.
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Limoncin, E., Ciocca, G., Mollaioli, D., Jannini, E.A. (2015). Sexual Distress in Obesity. In: Lenzi, A., Migliaccio, S., Donini, L. (eds) Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_14
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