Psychiatric and metabolic characteristics of childhood versus adult-onset obesity in patients seeking weight management

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine whether childhood-onset obesity differed from adult-onset obesity in lifetime prevalence of mood and eating disorders, and metabolic abnormalities, in currently obese adults seeking weight loss. A subgroup of childhood-onset obesity participants ( N = 44) was compared with a subgroup with adult-onset obesity ( N = 69) on a number of clinical and metabolic features. The results showed high lifetime prevalence rates of mood (78%) and eating (81%) disorders, and metabolic syndrome (45%), in the group as a whole. However, patients with childhood-onset obesity had a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of eating disorders in general, and of bulimia nervosa in particular, than patients with adult-onset obesity. Our results support findings of substantial comorbidity among obesity, mood and eating disorders, and metabolic syndrome in weight loss seeking populations. Early recognition and attention to eating and mood dysregulation, including, but not limited to binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, in some persons, might help reduce their lifetime risk for obesity.