Alimentary conducts, body attitudes and psychopathology in morbid obesity

Abstract

Introduction. Obesity is an ever more frequent health problem. An assessment of eating habits, attitudes towards the body and presence and degree of psychopathology in morbid obese subjects is presented.

Method. Eighty subjects with morbid obesity (BMI > 40), candidates for bariatric surgery, were systematically studied. A semistructured interview was carried out, including demographic and anthropometric data, eating habits, family history of obesity and family and personal background of psychiatric illness. The following tests were also administered: BITE, EDI and GHQ-28.

Results. Most of the subjects were women (90%), married (67.5%), with medium educational and professional levels. Mean age was 38 years, weight 131.3 kg, and BMI 50.17 kg/m2. A high frequency of familial history of obesity (82.5%) was observed, with fewer familial antecedents of depression (37.5%) and personal history of psychiatric illness (36.3%). A total of 27.5% admitted binge eating, 60% were nibblers and 46.3% sweet eaters. BITE results shows a medium level of bulimia (12.25), with 22.5% high scorers. A high level of body dissatisfaction (mean score of 21.5), with a significant drive for thinness stood out in the EDI. GHQ detects the existence of psychopathology in low degree (mean total score of 8.64), especially anxiety-insomnia, with a high proportion of possible psychopathologic disorders (46.2%).

Conclusions. Morbid obese subjects have a significant frequency of binge eating, and show a high level of body dissatisfaction, an important drive for thinness and medium frequency of low degree psychopathology, mainly anxiety.