Weight Concern Research Articles

Therapists' Experiences of Working with Ethnic Minority Females with Eating Disorders: A Qualitative Study.

Ethnic minority females are less likely to receive a diagnosis or treatment for an eating disorder (ED). This study captured the experiences of therapists who have worked with ethnic minority females to improve outcomes for this group. Twelve therapists in the United Kingdom, London were recruited for semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Shame was cited as a barrier to accessing help. This influenced therapeutic work such as not challenging shame or linking this to a negative interpretation of parents. Emotional and interpersonal factors were thought to be more common risk factors for the ED. The minimising of weight and shape concern and non-fat-phobic anorexia was thought to lead to a complex and delayed route to accessing ED services. Therapists felt restricted by service management who they felt required them to deliver a narrow range of therapies that had not necessarily demonstrated therapeutic outcomes in ethnic minority females. Nevertheless, therapists reported using curiosity to guide their cultural adaptations when feeling uncertain. When working with ethnic minority females, therapists face challenges from the therapeutic and diagnostic framework that services are aligned to. Creative solutions to address this include adapting the patient care pathway, referral guides, cultural reflective practice, and the use of cultural genograms and scripts in therapeutic work to address unmet needs.

Obesity and Weight Concerns in Children with Special Needs in a Developing Country

Objective To investigate weight concerns in children with special needs. Methods Data from an established patient database on Microsoft Excel for a local community paediatric service was analysed for September 2015 to August 2016. Patient diagnoses were categorised as follows: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Learning Difficulty (LD), Cerebral Palsy (CP), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Trisomy 21 (T 21) and Other syndromes. The proportions of these children being overweight/obese, underweight, having eating problems, requiring dietician services and having behavioural problems were recorded. Odds ratios were calculated comparing subgroups. Results One thousand and seventeen (1017) patients attended the clinics; Seven hundred and seventy one (771) were male. Fifteen point four percent (15.4%, 157) of patients had weight concerns, with 9.3% (95) being overweight or obese and 6.1% (62) underweight. Five point one percent (5.1%, 52) of children experienced eating problems. Seven point nine percent (7.9%,80) patients accessed the dietician services and behavioral concerns were noted in 8.8% (90) patients. Regarding ASD, the odds of being overweight or obese was lower compared to the rest of the group; 3.7% (15) were overweight or obese. For ADHD, 15% (13) were overweight or obese. Amongst children with Learning Difficulty, 17.5% (44) were overweight or obese. CP children had higher odds of being underweight compared to the rest of the group (14.9% of children with CP were underweight). For Trisomy 21 and other syndromes, 17% (5) were overweight or obese. Conclusion International data indicates that children with special needs have high rates of overweight and obesity. This study also shows that a significant proportion of children with special needs are overweight or obese and at risk of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Strategies implemented locally to address NCDs must give emphasis to children with special needs. Keywords: Obesity, Special Needs, Children

Body image concerns and intuitive eating in older women

Intuitive eating has been described as representing a positive relationship with food that can support health. However, to date, most of the extant research on intuitive eating has been conducted among young women, limiting our understanding of how intuitive eating can contribute to supporting health in aging women. This study aimed to bridge this gap by exploring body image and eating correlates of intuitive eating in older women. The hypotheses were that among older women, intuitive eating would be significantly associated with lower disordered eating, weight and shape concerns, and fewer depressive symptoms, and that an indirect relationship between BMI and intuitive eating via weight and shape concerns would exist. Community women aged 60–75 (N = 200) completed questionnaires assessing intuitive eating, disordered eating, body concern, depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Higher intuitive eating global scores were associated with lower restraint, lower eating concern, lower body concern, fewer depressive symptoms, and lower BMI. An indirect relationship between BMI and intuitive eating via weight and shape concern emerged, suggesting that being preoccupied by one's appearance hinder the ability to practice intuitive eating. These results suggest that intuitive eating is associated with positive outcomes among older women and might be a useful target for interventions designed to increase healthy aging.

Exploring eating and exercise-related indicators during COVID-19 quarantine in Portugal: concerns and routine changes in women with different BMI.

PurposeThe present study aimed to understand how quarantine associated with COVID-19 was experienced by women from different BMI groups (underweight, normal weight, pre-obesity, and obesity), by exploring the changes introduced in eating and exercise routines and the differences between BMI groups regarding shape concern, weight concern, and binge eating behaviours reported during this time.MethodsThis study comprised 580 women aged between 18 and 65 years old, who completed self-report measures, during the mandatory confinement in Portugal due to COVID-19. The total sample was divided into four groups, according to their BMI.ResultsResults revealed that overall, there were no significant differences between the groups regarding the eating and exercise routine changes introduced during quarantine. However, significant differences between the four groups were found in the reported body and eating-related difficulties (shape concern, weight concern, and binge eating behaviours), with the pre-obesity and obesity groups presenting significant higher levels.ConclusionsOur study suggests that, even though the changes introduced to the eating and exercise routine are independent of BMI, the pre-obesity and obesity group represent a major vulnerability group for the development of eating disorders. We hope this study allows professionals to understand the need to develop different guidelines and strategies for the pre-obesity and obesity female population during the deconfinement period.Level of evidenceLevel V—Descriptive study.

Depression, anxiety and self-esteem in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective of the study was to evaluate the depression, anxiety and perceived stress level in adolescent girls with diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as well as to assess their body and self-esteem and its impact on emotional status. In 27 adolescent girls with confirmed diagnosis of PCOS (study group) as well as 27 healthy, regularly menstruating, age and BMI matched girls (control group) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Body-Esteem Scale (BES) containing three subscales (sexual attractiveness, weight concern, physical condition) were performed. There were no significant differences between PCOS group and control group in depression and PSS-10 scores, but the anxiety score was significantly higher in control than in PCOS group (9.6 ± 3.0 vs 7.3 ± 3.9, p = 0.02). Moreover, in BES subscales' scores there were no significant differences between the groups, whereas RSES score was significantly higher in PCOS group (25.0 ± 7.1 vs 28.3 ± 4.6, p = 0.04). In PCOS group anxiety score was related to PSS-10 score (r = 0.56, p = 0.005). Moreover, we found that obesity was negatively related to anxiety (rƴ = -0.4, p = 0.04), depression (rƴ = -0.48, p = 0.02), PSS-10 (rƴ = -0.59, p = 0.004) and physical condition scores (rƴ = -0.44, p = 0.04). In girls with PCOS the more severe depression the worse weight control (rƴ = -0.56, p = 0.04). We conclude that in adolescent girls PCOS is not related to anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as poor self-esteem.

Medical Weight Problem Diagnosis and Minority Women’s Desire for Thinness

Background and Objectives: Without appropriate medical weight problem diagnosis, minority women might have inaccurate views of their weight status. It is likely that receiving an obesity diagnosis from a physician will raise women’s awareness of their weight status and increase their desire or intent to control their weight. This study assessed: (1) the unique and combined contribution of medical weight diagnosis to desire to be thinner among minority women with overweight/obesity; (2) to what extent ethnicity/race moderated the relation of medical weight problem diagnosis to desire to be thinner; and 3) ethnic/racial differences in perceived and ideal body size, and body dissatisfaction among minority women. Methods: 366 Hispanic and 111 African American women with a mean age of 43.7 years (SD=15.9 years) completed a self-report health survey and figure rating scale. Results: Only 34.1% women reported having received a medical weight problem diagnosis in the past 12 months. Women with obesity (35.4%) were more likely to have received a medical weight problem diagnosis than women with overweight (11.8%) (p<0.001). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed an association between a medical weight problem diagnosis (β=0.19, p=0.011) and desire to be thinner after controlling for ethnicity/race, researcher-estimated body mass index, and weight concern. Conclusions: The study’s findings provide evidence supporting the significant role that physicians’ weight problem diagnosis may play in minority women’s desire for thinness.

Eating behaviors and weight outcomes in bariatric surgery patients amidst COVID-19.

BackgroundRecent studies suggest that eating habits are an area particularly affected by the lockdown imposed by many countries to curb the COVID-19 epidemic. Individuals that received bariatric surgery may represent a particularly susceptible population to the adverse effects of lockdown for its potential impact on eating, psychological, and weight loss outcomes.ObjectivesThis study seeks to investigate the incremental impact of COVID-19 lockdown on treatment outcomes of postbariatric patients in the risk period for weight regain.SettingMain hospital center.MethodsThis work uses data from an ongoing longitudinal study of bariatric patients assessed before surgery (T0), 1.5 years after sugery (T1), and 3 years after surgery (T2). Two independent groups were compared: the COVID-19_Group (n = 35) where T0 and T1 assessments were conducted before the pandemic started and T2 assessment was conducted at the end of the mandatory COVID-19 lockdown; and the NonCOVID-19_Group (n = 66), covering patients who completed T0, T1, and T2 assessments before the epidemic began. Assessment included self-report measures for disordered eating, negative urgency, depression, anxiety, stress, and weight outcomes.ResultsGeneral linear models for repeated measures showed that the COVID-19_Group presented significantly higher weight concern (F = 8.403, P = .005, ƞ2p = .094), grazing behavior (F = 7.166, P = .009, ƞ2p = .076), and negative urgency (F = 4.522, P = .036, ƞ2p = .05) than the NonCOVID-19_Group. The COVID-19_Group also showed less total weight loss (F = 4.029, P = .05, ƞ2p = .04) and larger weight regain at T2, with more COVID-19_Group participants experiencing excessive weight regain (20% versus 4.5%).ConclusionThese results show evidence for the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on eating-related psychopathology and weight outcomes in postbariatric surgery patients.

The Causal Influence of Life Meaning on Weight and Shape Concerns in Women at Risk for Developing an Eating Disorder

Background: Although previous studies have shown an inverse relation between life meaning and eating disorder symptoms, the correlational nature of this evidence precludes causal inferences. Therefore, this study used an experimental approach to test the causal impact of life meaning on individuals' weight and shape concerns.Methods: Female students at risk for developing an eating disorder (N = 128) were randomly assigned to the control or the meaning condition, which involved thinking about and committing to pursue intrinsically valued life goals. A color-naming interference task was used to assess the motivational salience of body-related stimuli, and self-report measures were used to assess participants' overvaluation of weight and shape.Results: The meaning manipulation was effective in activating intrinsically valued life goals. However, it did not result in lower self-reported overvaluation of weight and shape or lower color-naming interference effects of body-related stimuli, compared to the control condition. Post-hoc analyses suggested that baseline meaning in life was related to the impact of the manipulation.Conclusions: This experimental study did not provide evidence for a causal influence of life meaning on the overvaluation of weight and shape in a high-risk group. The current findings suggest that we first need to examine the relationship between life meaning and eating disorder symptoms in more detail, before implementing brief meaning manipulations in clinical practice.

An Investigation of Eating Disorders among Gifted Adolescents

Gifted students may experience greater risk of disordered eating, especially during adolescence, which is already a high-risk time for the development of eating disorders. In particular, the novel Covid-19 global pandemic exacerbates stress that may influence adolescents with disordered eating. This study investigated eating disorders of 33 identified gifted adolescents (77% female) in one Midwest state with an online survey using a well-validated instrument, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), that contains subscales of eating restraint, eating concern, shape concern, and weight concern. Narrative responses were included in the data. Results indicated 20% of the gifted adolescents in this study revealed concerning responses about their weight, shape, and dietary restrictions. Voluntary comments revealed apprehension, concerns, and distress among some respondents. Recommendations are provided for teachers, parents, as well as for students themselves.

Reimagize – a digital card-based roleplaying game to improve adolescent girls’ body image

The perceived importance of beauty and physical appearance in 21st-century society is immense. Research has previously been found that being thin and/or muscular has become associated with being “hard-working, successful, popular, beautiful, strong, and self-disciplined,” whereas being “fat” is associated with being “lazy, ignorant, hated, ugly, weak, and lacking in will-power.” These stereotypes can negatively affect one’s self-esteem and ultimately result in poor performance or eating disorders. With that in mind, Reimagize, a role-playing with decision-making, was conjured, implementing social psychological concepts like counter-stereotyping and perspective-taking. As the game works implicitly to influence body image, it even counters image issues beyond personal body dissatisfaction. This study explored whether a digital role-playing card game, incorporating some of the most common prejudices of body image (like size prejudice, prejudices from the media, etc.) as identified by a digital survey/questionnaire completed by Indian girls aged 11-21, could counter these issues and reduce personal body dissatisfaction. The real-world effectiveness of the game was tested among 44 high school-age Indian girls using the Body Esteem Scale. In the pre- and post-game phases, there was a significant increase in the scores of the girls in the experimental group, specifically in weight concern and physical condition. Subscores in sexual attractiveness remained stagnant. With this success, there is scope to expand to other genders to improve body image, creating a positive change.

대학생의 심리적 안녕감, 자아존중감과 체중걱정이 대인관계 유능성에 미치는 영향

본 연구는 대학생의 심리적 안녕감, 자아존중감과 체중걱정이 대인관계 유능성에 미치는 영향을 파악하는 서술적 조사연구이다. 자료수집은 D시와 C도의 대학교에 재학중인 대학생 167명을 대상으로 2019년 11월부터 12월까지 수집하 였다. 수집된 자료는 JAMOVI 프로그램을 이용하여 서술적 통계, t-검정, 일원 분산분석, 상관관계 분석과 위계적 회귀분석 을 이용하여 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 대상자의 대인관계 유능성은 성별, 성격, 생활만족도와 체중만족도에 따라 차이가 있었 으며, 심리적 안녕감과 자아존중감과는 정적인 상관관계가 있었다. 대인관계 유능성에 영향을 미치는 요인으로는 성격 중 긍정적인 그룹(β=.31, p=.027), 심리적 안녕감(β=.21, p=.022)과 자아존중감(β=.24, p=.007)으로 나타났으며, 이들 변수 는 대인관계 유능성을 25.2% 설명하였다. 따라서 대학생의 대인관계 유능성을 향상시키기 위해서는 이들의 심리적 안녕감 과 자아존중감을 고려한 프로그램의 개발이 필요하다.

Associations between parental perception of- and concern about-child weight and use of specific food-related parenting practices

Little is known about the association between parental perception of their child's weight as well as parent's current and future concerns regarding their child's weight and a broad range of food-related parenting practices. This study used the first wave of cross-sectional data from the longitudinal Family Matters study to examine the relationships between parental perception of child weight status, parent concern for child's current and future weight and parent use of different types of food-related practices. Parent/child dyads (n = 150) were recruited from primary care clinics. Multiple regression models were fit to examine cross-sectional relationships between parental perception and concern for their child's weight and food-related parenting practices (food restriction, pressure-to-eat, food control, food monitoring, nutrition education, and parent modeling). Parents who perceived their child to be underweight had lower scores for food restriction than parents who perceived their child to be overweight. Parents who reported concern about their child's current weight reported higher scores for food restriction and monitoring than parents who were not currently concerned. Parents who reported concern about their child's future weight status reported higher scores for pressure-to-eat and monitoring than parents who were not at all concerned about their child's future weight status. The relationship between parental perception of child's current weight status and parent use of food restriction, pressure-to-eat, and overall food control was modified by child sex. Overall, results suggest that parent's perceptions of and concerns about their child's current and future weight status were correlated with their feeding approaches. Health care providers may want to consider providing anticipatory guidance for parents that have concerns about their child's weight by teaching them about positive, evidence-based ways they can engage in healthy food-related parenting practices.

The Presentation of Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: There is lack of information on the presentation of eating disorders (EDs) in Saudi Arabia using gold standard clinical tools. The present study aimed to provide data on the presentation of EDs in Saudi Arabia using clinically validated measures. Method: Hundred and thirty-three individuals (33 male) with a mean age of 22 years (2.63) completed three measures: the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a semi-structured interview, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a self-report measure, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure comorbid symptoms. Results: Individuals in Saudi Arabia reported higher levels of restraint, eating concern and shape concern and a higher global score, but lower levels of weight concern on the EDE-Q compared to the EDE. Female participants reported a higher global score, alongside significantly higher scores on the restraint, shape concern and weight concern subscales than males. The most common ED subtype was other specific feeding or ED. Compared with Western community samples, symptom severity in this purposive sample obtained from community settings was significantly higher in this sample. Discussion: Individuals with eating, weight and shape concerns in Saudi Arabia may feel more comfortable expressing their symptoms on a self-report tool compared with a face to face interview. However, it is possible that a self-report measure may over-estimate the severity of symptoms. The data suggest that clinicians in Saudi Arabia should regularly screen for EDs in all genders. It is also important to note that ED symptoms are a cause for concern in young people in Saudi Arabia.

Adaptation and validation of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in English among urban Indian adolescents.

Eating pathology is a salient issue in India, with clinical features reported among adults and adolescents. However, there are currently no validated measures of disordered eating in the Indian context. The present study therefore aimed to validate a culturally appropriate English language version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a widely used measure, among adolescents in India. We adapted and examined the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the EDE-Q among an urban sample of 1,413 Indian adolescents (mean age = 13 years; 45% girls). In contrast to the original four-factor model, exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor solution for girls and boys, which was verified by confirmatory factor analysis; a "Preoccupation and Control" subscale and a "Weight and Shape Concerns" subscale. The total scale comprised 15 items for girls and 18 items for boys. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were satisfactory for the girls' and boys' scales (Cronbach's α = .91 for both) and their comprising subscales (αs ≥ .80). Concurrent validity was established through medium-high significant correlations with measures of body image and internalization of appearance ideals. Combining items common to both versions of the scale led to a psychometrically acceptable model which was largely invariant across both genders, thus facilitating gendered comparison. Findings indicate the reliability and validity of the EDE-Q among English-speaking urban Indian adolescents. This will facilitate further research examining the prevalence and nature of eating pathology among adolescents in India.

Time after ostomy surgery and type of treatment are associated with quality of life changes in colorectal cancer patients with colostomy.

Quality of life in colorectal cancer patients may be affected by colostomy and treatment, but relevant studies are still scarce and contradictory. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between colostomy time and treatment type with quality of life in colorectal cancer patients. A prospective observational study of 41 patients with colorectal cancer was conducted on three occasions T0, T1 and T2 (0-2; 3-5 and 6-8 months after ostomy surgery, respectively). The treatments prescribed were: surgery alone, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaires were used to evaluate quality of life. Worsening clinical changes were evaluated considering difference in scores between times of surgery ≥±9 points. Regarding ostomy surgery, scores in physical function improved between T0 and T1 and these better scores were maintained at T1 to T2. The same was observed for urinary frequency, appetite loss and dry mouth. Chemoradiotherapy was associated with worse scores for global health status, nausea and vomiting, bloating and dry mouth. Although significant differences were not observed in some domains in the Generalized Estimating Equations analysis, patients showed noticeable changes for the worse in the pain, anxiety, weight concern, flatulence and embarrassment domains during these periods. Colostomy improved quality of life at 3-5 months in most domains of quality of life and remained better at 6-8 months after surgery. Chemoradiotherapy had a late negative influence on quality of life. Health teams could use these results to reassure patients that this procedure will improve their quality of life in many functional and symptomatic aspects.

Community norms for the eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q) among cisgender bisexual plus women and men

PurposeCisgender bisexual plus (including bisexual, pansexual, and polysexual) women and men experience unique health concerns including eating disorders. The purpose of this study was to develop community norms for eating disorder attitudes and disordered eating behaviors in cisgender bisexual plus women and men using the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).MethodsParticipants were cisgender bisexual plus women (n = 462) and men (n = 93) participants in The PRIDE Study, an existing study of sexual and gender minority people.ResultsMean and standard deviation of EDE-Q scores among cisgender bisexual plus women and men, respectively, were: Global (1.75 ± 1.26, 1.56 ± 1.18), Restraint (1.34 ± 1.44, 1.42 ± 1.53), Eating Concern (0.96 ± 1.13, 0.63 ± 0.96), Weight Concern 2.27 ± 1.55, 1.89 ± 1.46), and Shape Concern 42 ± 1.62, 2.30 ± 1.57). Among cisgender bisexual plus women and men, respectively, 27.5% and 22.6% scored in the clinically significant range on the Global score. Bisexual plus women and men reported any occurrence (≥ 1/28 days) of dietary restraint (19.3%, 23.7%), objective binge episodes (11.1%, 10.8%), excessive exercise (4.5%, 5.4%), self-induced vomiting (1.7%, 0.0%), and laxative misuse (0.4%, 1.1%), respectively. A lower percentage of age-matched cisgender bisexual plus women (18–25 years) reported any occurrence of objective binge episodes, self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, and excessive exercise than previously published in young women. Age-matched cisgender bisexual plus men (18–26 years) reported higher weight concern subscale scores than previously published in young men.ConclusionsThese norms should aid clinicians in applying and interpreting the EDE-Q scores of cisgender bisexual plus women and men.Level of evidenceLevel V: cross-sectional descriptive study

Community norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among gender-expansive populations

PurposeGender-expansive individuals (i.e., those who identify outside of the binary system of man or woman) are a marginalized group that faces discrimination and have a high burden of mental health problems, but there is a paucity of research on eating disorders in this population. This study aimed to describe the community norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in gender-expansive populations.MethodsThe participants were 988 gender-expansive individuals (defined as neither exclusively cisgender nor binary transgender) from The PRIDE study, an existing longitudinal cohort study of health outcomes in sexual and gender minority people.ResultsWe present the mean scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the Global score and four subscale scores of the EDE-Q in this group as a whole and stratified by sex assigned at birth. Gender-expansive individuals reported any occurrence (≥1/28 days) of dietary restraint (23.0%), objective binge episodes (12.9%), excessive exercise (7.4%), self-induced vomiting (1.4%), or laxative misuse (1.2%). We found no statistically significant differences by sex assigned at birth. Compared to a prior study of transgender men and women, there were no significant differences in eating attitudes or disordered eating behaviors noted between gender-expansive individuals and transgender men. Transgender women reported higher Restraint and Shape Concern subscale scores compared to gender-expansive individuals. Compared to a prior study of presumed cisgender men 18–26 years, our age-matched gender-expansive sample had higher Eating, Weight, and Shape Concern subscales and Global Score, but reported a lower frequency of objective binge episodes and excessive exercise. Compared to a prior study of presumed cisgender women 18–25 years, our age-matched gender-expansive sample had a higher Shape Concern subscale score, a lower Restraint subscale score, and lower frequencies of self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, and excessive exercise.ConclusionsGender-expansive individuals reported lower Restraint and Shape Concern scores than transgender women; higher Eating, Weight, and Shape Concern scores than presumed cisgender men; and lower Restraint but higher Shape Concern scores than presumed cisgender women. These norms can help clinicians in treating this population and interpreting the EDE-Q scores of their gender-expansive patients.

An Investigation of the Eating Concerns Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) in a Postoperative Bariatric Surgery Sample.

Eating pathology is common pre-operatively and continues to be prevalent following bariatric surgery. A new version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the MMPI-3, contains a new scale called Eating Concerns (EAT) that aims to assess problematic eating behaviors. The current investigation seeks to establish preliminary convergent validity of the MMPI-3 EAT scale in a postoperative bariatric surgery sample. Thirty-eight consecutive participants took the MMPI-3 and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Higher MMPI-3 EAT scale scores were meaningfully associated with %Weight Regain (r = .37) and scale scores on the EDE-Q [Eating Concerns (r = .67), Weight Concerns (r = .39), Shape Concerns (r =.54), and the EDE total score (r = .59)]. Initial examination of the EAT Specific Problem Scale of the MMPI-3 yields good clinical utility in assessing eating pathology in a postoperative bariatric surgery sample.

The Influence of Weight-Related Self-Esteem and Symptoms of Depression on Shape and Weight Concerns and Weight-Loss 12Months After Bariatric Surgery.

While body image can improve following bariatric surgery, a portion of patients continue to experience concerns about weight and shape regardless of weight lost. Research is needed to identify risk factors for post-surgical weight and shape concerns given that body dissatisfaction may contribute to poor outcomes. To evaluate whether (1) change in weight-related self-esteem and symptoms of depression from pre- to 12-month post-surgery were associated with change in weight and shape concerns independent of weight-loss; (2) improvement in weight and shape concerns, symptoms of depression, and/or weight-related self-esteem predict greater weight-loss 12months after bariatric surgery; and (3) improvements in weight-related self-esteem, symptoms of depression, weight concerns, or shape concerns predict weight loss. Fifty adults approved to receive bariatric surgery self-reported body mass index and completed validated measures of weight-related self-esteem, symptoms of depression, and weight and shape concerns pre- and 12-month post-surgery. Improvements were observed for weight-related self-esteem, concerns over shape and weight, symptoms of depression, and body mass index from pre- to 12-month post-surgery. Improvement in weight-related self-esteem was associated with concomitant improvements in concerns over shape and weight, independent of weight loss. Improvement in symptoms of depression was associated with improvement in concerns over weight, but not shape. Finally, exploratory analyses indicated that improvements in weight-related self-esteem, and concerns over shape and weight, but not symptoms of depression were associated with improvement in weight-loss. Weight-related self-esteem may represent an overlooked and important target throughout the bariatric surgery process that could enhance surgical outcomes.

Parental Contributors to the Prevalence and Long-term Health Risks of Family Weight Teasing in Adolescence

PurposeWeight teasing from family members is common during adolescence. However, little is known about parental factors that increase adolescents' risk for family weight teasing and its adverse health sequelae. Using multi-informant data from adolescents, mothers and fathers, the current longitudinal study examined how parental concerns about their child's weight and their own weight contribute to family weight teasing in adolescence and its long-term health consequences. MethodsData were collected in the population-based Project EAT 2010–2018 (Eating and Activity over Time) study, following a longitudinal cohort of young people (N = 2,793). Parental weight concerns for their adolescent and themselves were reported by mothers (N = 2,298) and fathers (N = 1,409) at baseline and examined as a predictor of family weight teasing in adolescence as well as a moderator of family weight teasing effects on health eight years later. ResultsMothers' and fathers' concerns about their child's weight, as well as mothers' dieting frequency, increased the likelihood of adolescents experiencing family weight teasing. Longitudinal analyses revealed that adolescents teased about their weight by family had higher levels of stress (β = .21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .09–.33) and substance use (β = .16, 95% CI = .04–.28), and lower self-esteem (β = −.16, 95% CI = −.28 to −.05) in young adulthood. ConclusionsFindings highlight parent weight concern, particularly concern for their child's weight, as a risk factor for family weight teasing. These findings underscore the importance of encouraging parental attention to health, rather than weight, in family-based treatment and public health initiatives.