The occurrence of depressive symptoms in obese subjects starting treatment and not seeking treatment for obesity

Abstract

Introduction The psychological profile of obese people deciding to start obesity treatment may be different from those not choosing to seek the therapy. Previous studies have shown a higher incidence of depression in obese than in normal weight people. However, data are lacking concerning the occurrence of depressive symptoms and their severity in obese subjects who do or do not decide to start treatment for obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms among obese people starting treatment and not seeking treatment for obesity. Materials and methods Enrolled subjects were 331 adults (241 women, 90 men), including 193 obese subjects starting treatment for obesity (46.8 ± 13.2 years, BMI 37.6 ± 5.5 kg/m 2) and 138 obese volunteers never seeking treatment for obesity (44.3 ± 12.5 years, BMI 34.7 ± 4.3 kg/m 2). Depression levels were determined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results The level of depression was significantly higher among those starting treatment for obesity than those never seeking treatment for obesity (13.2 ± 9.2 vs. 9.5 ± 7.9 points; p < 0.001). This difference was statistically significant in women (14.4 ± 9.2 and 11.0 ± 8.2 points, respectively; p < 0.01), but not in men (7.2 ± 6.4 and 7.3 ± 7.1 points, respectively; p = 0.95). There were more women with moderate/severe depressive symptoms in the group starting treatment than in the group not seeking treatment for obesity (44.7 and 24.4%, respectively). No such difference was observed in men. Conclusions Obese subjects, especially women, with depressive symptoms are more likely to start treatment for obesity. Level of evidence Level III, case-control analytic study.

Is there a difference in body size dissatisfaction between the patients with obesity seeking and not seeking treatment for obesity?

“…Our study has shown that patients with obesity starting obesity treatment more often have a high level of body size dissatisfaction than volunteers with obesity not seeking treatment for obesity. This confirms the initial hypothesis of psychological heterogeneity of subjects living with obesity by Fitzgibbon [ 8 ] and is in line with previous findings showing a higher frequency of depression symptoms in people with obesity starting obesity treatment than in volunteers with obesity not seeking treatment for obesity [ 9 ]. It should be noted that adjustment for age and BMI values did not influence obtained results.…”

“…A previously published study revealed that there were more women with moderate and severe depressive symptoms in the group starting treatment than in the group not seeking treatment for obesity (44.7 and 24.4%, respectively). Such a difference was not observed in males [ 9 ]. However, a more detailed characterisation of people willing to take treatment of obesity supervised by physicians and other medical professionals and subsequent interventions toward the improvement of treatment-seeking rate seems to be an important concern of public health.…”

Course of depressive symptomatology and its association with serum uric acid in one-anastomosis gastric bypass patients

“…Somatic and physical items of the BDI, such as distortion of body image, work inhibition, sleep disturbance, fatigability, loss of appetite, somatic preoccupation, loss of libido, and weight loss can overlap with the symptoms of obesity rather than being due to depressive symptomatology 26 , 27 . Previously published studies reported that patients with obesity or patients undergoing bariatric surgery endorsed the somatic-vegetative items more than the cognitive affective items of the BDI 28 , 29 .…”