Body image and body weight in obese patients

Objective To evaluate the influence of body weight on body image. Methods: The study was carried out in severely obese patients and in postobese subjects, having attained and maintaining a normal or nearly normal weight following biliopancreatic diversion; body image was assessed by self-report questionnaires. Results: The obese patients' scores were different from those of postobese subjects. In postobese individuals with adult-onset obesity, body image was very similar to that of controls, whilst in those with early-onset obesity it was abnormal. Discussion: In the adult-onset obese patients, since the weight normalization causes a sharp improvement of body image, its alterations could be accounted for by a body shape far different from that socially acceptable. In the early-onset obese patients, being the postoperative findings similar to those of the obese patients and different from those of never-obese controls, the body image disparagement might reflect inner feelings, independent of body weight. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 24: 299–306, 1998.