Relationship between sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and depression among patients with obesity

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a significant risk factor for mental health. Depression and obesity appear to have a bi-directional relationship in which a number of mediating factors may play a role, such as body dissatisfaction. Unrealistic messages related to image may contribute to depression in individuals with excess weight through body image dissatisfaction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of appearance-related sociocultural attitudes in the development of two common comorbid psychological characteristics of obesity, namely, body image dissatisfaction and depression. Methods: The sample of the cross-sectional survey consisted of participants in an inpatient weight loss treatment (n = 339, 19% men). The mean age was 50.2 (SD = 13.47) years, the mean BMI was 38.6 (SD = 7.58) kg/m2. Measures: self-reported anthropometric data, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, Body Shape Questionnaire – Short form 14, CES-D Depression Scale. Results: Results of path analysis revealed many weak but significant indirect paths between appearance-related sociocultural attitudes and depression through body image dissatisfaction (χ2 = 688.23, df = 35, p < .001; CFI = .995; TLI = .973; RMSEA = .039, 90% CI: .00 – .08; SRMR = .013). The model explains 31.8% of the variance of body dissatisfaction and 23.3% of the variance of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Assessing the extent and causes of body image dissatisfaction and depression, and striving to reduce them can be a valuable addition of weight loss programs.