“Gender Differences in the Psychopathology of Obesity: How Relevant is the Role of Binge Eating Behaviors?”

Abstract Purpose: the aim of the study is the identification of the main psychopathological correlates of obese candidates for bariatric surgery, with particular attention to the relation between them and gender. Methods: 273 candidates for bariatric surgery for obesity underwent a psychiatric evaluation with compilation of psychometric scales: Revised Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90R), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), Obesity Related Well-Being (O.R. WELL). The sample has been divided on the basis of Gender and Binge Eating Disorder (BED) severity; comparisons between the groups is performed with an analysis of variance model (ANOVA) or a Pearson’s Chi-squared test. Further we also divided our sample in a Severe Binge Eating group (scores > 27), a Mild to Moderate group (18 < scores < 26) and a low/no symptoms group (scores < 17). Results: male and female subjects showed a difference in BES, with higher scores reported among women (17.50 ± 9.59) than men (14.08 ± 8.64). Women also showed higher scores across most of the SCL-90R domains and worse outcomes in terms of quality of life. Both women and men of Severe Binge Eating group reported higher scores of the SCL-90R. Conclusion: symptoms of BED, along with the Body Image Dissatisfaction (BID) are among the most important to investigate in candidates for bariatric surgery, to improve the surgery outcome.Level of evidence: III – evidence from cohort analytic study.