Body image and body weight in obese patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of body weight on body image.


METHODS
The study was carried out in severely obese patients and in postobese subjects, having attained and maintaining a normal or nearly normal weight following biliopancreatic diversion; body image was assessed by self-report questionnaires.


RESULTS
The obese patients' scores were different from those of postobese subjects. In postobese individuals with adult-onset obesity, body image was very similar to that of controls, whilst in those with early-onset obesity it was abnormal.


CONCLUSIONS
In the adult-onset obese patients, since the weight normalization causes a sharp improvement of body image, its alterations could be accounted for by a body shape far different from that socially acceptable. In the early-onset obese patients, being the postoperative findings similar to those of the obese patients and different from those of never-obese controls, the body image disparagement might reflect inner feelings, independent of body weight.
Adami
G F
GF
Istituto di Clinica Chirurgica, Facoltà di Medicina, Università di Genova, Italy.
Gandolfo
P
P
Campostano
A
A
Meneghelli
A
A
Ravera
G
G
Scopinaro
N
N
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory