Characteristics of morbidly obese patients before gastric bypass surgery

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry 2003-09, Vol.44 (5), p.428-434
• Main Authors: de Zwaan, Martina, Mitchell, James E, Howell, L.Michael, Monson, Nancy, Swan-Kremeier, Lorraine, Crosby, Ross D, Seim, Harold C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Bulimia; Bulimia - epidemiology; Depression - diagnosis; Eating behavior disorders; Eating disorders; Female; Gastric Bypass; Gastrointestinal surgery; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood Disorders - diagnosis; North Dakota - epidemiology; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - psychology; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Self Concept; Self esteem; Sex Factors; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Weight control; Work - psychology
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/S0010-440X(03)00092-0

The prevalence of binge eating disorder (BED) was assessed in a sample of 110 morbidly obese presurgery patients by means of self-report (Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns [QEWP]). Subsequently, patients with (n = 19, 17.3%) and without BED (n = 91, 82.7%) were compared on several eating-related and general psychopathological instruments, as well as an obesity-specific health-related quality-of-life measure. Patients with BED exhibited higher scores than non-BED patients on most of the subscales of two questionnaires measuring eating behavior and attitudes towards eating, shape, and weight (Three Factor Eating Questionnaire [TFEQ], Eating Disorders Examination-questionnaire version [EDE-Q4]) with the exception of the respective restraint subscales. The two groups also differed significantly on the disease-specific quality-of-life measure (Impact of Quality of Life Questionnaire-Lite [IWQOL-Lite]). No differences were found for measures of severity of depressive symptoms (Inventory of Depressive Symptoms [IDS]) and impairment of self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire [RSE]). Our findings replicate the results of other studies comparing patients with and without BED in samples with different degrees of obesity and extend the results to an obesity-specific quality-of-life measure. Further research needs to investigate the short- and long-term impact of presurgery BED on surgery outcome, as well as the impact of surgery on binge eating and eating-related psychopathology.