Psychological Symptoms in Individuals Successful at Long-Term Maintenance of Weight Loss

Set point theory suggests that successful maintenance of weight loss ("weight suppression") may be associated with psychological distress. This study examined the association between psychological symptoms and body weight suppression by using a registry of 629 women and 155 men who lost at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health psychology 1998-07, Vol.17 (4), p.336-345
Main Authors: Klem, Mary Lou, Wing, Rena R, McGuire, Maureen T, Seagle, Helen M, Hill, James O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Body Weight
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - psychology
Diet, Reducing - psychology
Factors
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Human
Humans
Maintenance
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity - diet therapy
Obesity - psychology
Personality Inventory
Psychological distress
Psychopathology
Symptoms
Weight Control
Weight Loss
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Summary:Set point theory suggests that successful maintenance of weight loss ("weight suppression") may be associated with psychological distress. This study examined the association between psychological symptoms and body weight suppression by using a registry of 629 women and 155 men who lost at least 13.6 kg (mean loss = 30 ± 15 kg) and maintained the loss for at least 1 year (mean duration = 5.5 ± 6.8 years). Participants completed measures of mood, distress, restraint, disinhibition, bingeing, and purging. Maintainers' levels of distress and depression were lower than those of psychiatric samples and resembled those of community-based samples. Binge-eating and purging rates were comparable to rates of community samples. Maintainers' levels of restraint and disinhibition were markedly different from those of eating-disordered samples, resembling levels found in patients recently treated for obesity. There was no evidence that long-term suppression of body weight is associated with psychological distress.
ISSN:0278-6133
1930-7810
DOI:10.1037/0278-6133.17.4.336