The influence of body weight on food and shape attitudes in severely obese patients

Cognitive restraint, binge eating, night eating, body image disparagement and shape overconcern describe the food and weight related attitudes of obese patients. At long term follow-up after biliopancreatic diversion, body weight is steadily at normal or nearly normal levels regardless of food intake: any preoccupation for food, weight and diet are thereafter completely abandoned. The normalization of body shape corresponds to a sharp improvement in eating behavior, body image and psychological conditions. These results suggest that the dissatisfaction of one's somatic morphology and the consequent dieting account for most of the aberrant eating patterns in obese patients.