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Changes in Body Image Disturbance in Morbidly Obese Patients 1 Year after Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

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Background

The effectiveness of post-surgical weight loss in improving body image disturbance (BID) in morbidly obese patients is still unclear. Providing multidimensional measures of BID and controlling for the effect of co-morbid eating psychopathology may help to clarify this issue. This preliminary study explores whether 1) BID improves 1 year after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), and whether 2) such improvement is related to post-surgical BMI and/or eating disorder reduction. BID was multidimensionally assessed by means of the Body Uneasiness Test(BUT).

Methods

35 obese subjects (mean BMI 45.5) were evaluated prior to and 1 year after LAGB using the BUT, and a standardized interview and questionnaire to assess eating psychopathology. BID and eating habit changes during follow-up were also investigated. Postoperative BUT values were entered as outcome measures (dependent variables) in a series of stepwise multiple regression analyses; BMI and binge eating reduction, baseline BUT scores, gender, age, and age of onset of obesity were tested as independent variables.

Results

Some aspects of BID (body image overconcern and related avoidance behaviors, compulsive self-monitoring, and overall severity of BID) improved following LAGB, while others (weight phobia, depersonalization, and uneasiness toward body parts) did not. The post-surgical lower levels of the former were predicted by the overall decrease in binge eating symptoms, irrespective of BMI reduction, age, gender, and age of onset of obesity.

Conclusions

LAGB may ameliorate some BID aspects in morbidly obese patients, and an improvement in eating behaviors may contribute to this effect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy

    Chiara De Panfilis MD, Sara Cero MD, Mariateresa Torre MD, Paola Salvatore MD & Carlo Maggini MD

  2. Unit of Diabetology and Dismetabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy

    Elisabetta Dall’Aglio MD

  3. Unit of General and Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy

    Aristodemo Adorni MD

  4. Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Psichiatria, Università di Parma, Strada del Quartiere 2, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Carlo Maggini MD

Authors
  1. Chiara De Panfilis MD
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  2. Sara Cero MD
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  3. Mariateresa Torre MD
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  4. Paola Salvatore MD
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  5. Elisabetta Dall’Aglio MD
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  7. Carlo Maggini MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlo Maggini MD.

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De Panfilis, C., Cero, S., Torre, M. et al. Changes in Body Image Disturbance in Morbidly Obese Patients 1 Year after Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding. OBES SURG 17, 792–799 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-007-9145-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-007-9145-8

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