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. 2014 Mar 1;3(1):127-36.
doi: 10.1007/s13679-013-0080-9.

Depression and Disordered Eating in the Obese Person

Lucy F Faulconbridge  1 , Colleen F Bechtel  1
Affiliations

Depression and Disordered Eating in the Obese Person

Lucy F Faulconbridge et al. Curr Obes Rep. .

Abstract

Three mental health problems commonly associated with obesity are major depression, binge eating disorder (BED), and Night Eating Syndrome (NES). Evidence from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies support independent relationships between obesity and depression, and between obesity and binge eating. These problems are most prevalent in severely obese individuals (Class III obesity; a body mass index (BMI) of >40kgm(2)), many of whom seek bariatric surgery, and we briefly review whether the presence of pre-operative depression, BED or NES affects post-operative outcomes. Historically depressed individuals have been screened out of weight loss trials due to concerns of worsening mood with weight loss. Such practices have precluded the development of effective treatments for depressed, obese individuals, leaving large numbers of people without appropriate care. We present recent advances in this area, and attempt to answer whether depressed individuals can lose clinically significant amounts of weight, show improvements in mood, and adhere to the demands of a weight loss intervention.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Binge Eating Disorder; Depression; Disordered Eating; Night Eating Syndrome; Obesity; Psychological; Weight Loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Lucy F. Faulconbridge and Colleen F. Bechtel declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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