title: Are Iranian obese women candidate for bariatric surgery different cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally from their normal weight counterparts?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to examine the cognitive, emotional and behavioral differences between obese and normal weight women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants consisted of 60 obese women (BMI ≥ 35, Mean age 35.83) who were candidates for bariatric surgery and 60 normal weight women (BMI ≤ 24.90, Mean age 33.38) who were selected through convenient sampling method. The two groups were matched with respect to age and education. Measures included the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Binge Eating Scale. Independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to compare the two groups' scores on early maladaptive schemas, DER and binge eating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that obese women candidate for bariatric surgery scored significantly higher on emotional deprivation, mistrust, failure, dependency, enmeshment, self-sacrifice, especially abandonment, social isolation, vulnerability, self-control and subjugation schemas, but not on shame, entitlement, emotional inhibition and unrelenting standards. Obese women also displayed higher scores on three subscales of DERS, i.e., goal, impulse and strategies. BE scores were significantly higher in obese women than normal weight ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that obese women candidates for bariatric surgery suffered from more cognitive, emotional and behavioral vulnerability compared to women with normal weight. Addressing these vulnerabilities among obese women could improve outcomes of weight loss surgeries and cognitive behavioral interventions so that weight regain is minimized and better outcomes are achieved.
authors.affiliation: Tehran Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Satarkhan Street, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fereidouni
authors.forename: Mohammad Kazem
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Atef-Vahid
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fathali Lavasani
authors.forename: Roohangiz
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jamshidi Orak
authors.forename: E David
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Klonsky
authors.forename: Abdolreza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pazooki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult