Binge eating and self-esteem predict body image dissatisfaction among obese men and women seeking bariatric surgery

Abstract

We examined body image dissatisfaction (BID) in extremely obese men and women seeking bariatric surgery. The following predictors of BID were examined in a consecutive series of 260 (44 men and 216 women) gastric bypass candidates: gender, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), age at onset of overweight, childhood maltreatment, binge eating, depression, and self-esteem. Women reported significantly higher levels of BID than men. Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that gender, binge eating, and self-esteem levels accounted for 41% of the variance in BID. In predicting BID levels separately by gender, binge eating and self-esteem accounted for 56% of the variance among men and for 33% of the variance among women. Among bariatric surgery candidates, women reported significantly higher BID than men. Our findings suggest the importance of binge eating and lower self-esteem for understanding BID in both men and women who are extremely obese.