INTRODUCTION: Depressive symptoms have been reported as prevalent after bariatric surgery. This study aims to analyze the role of weight, eating behaviors and body image in depressive symptomatology in bariatric surgery patients assessed post-operatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study including 52 bariatric surgery patients assessed post-operatively with a follow-up time ranging from 22 to 132 months. Psychological assessment included a clinical interview (Eating Disorder Examination) to assess eating disorders psychopathology, and three self-report measures: Outcome Questionnaire 45--general distress; Beck Depression Inventory--depressive symptoms; and Body Shape Questionnaire--body image. RESULTS: Our data show that depressive symptoms after surgery are associated with loss of control over eating, increased concerns with body image, and body mass index regain. Multiple linear regressions was tested including these variables and showed that body mass index regain after surgery, loss of control over eating and concerns with body image significantly explained 50% of the variance of post-operative depressive symptoms, being the concern with body image the most significant variable: greater dissatisfaction with body image was associated with more depressive symptoms. DISCUSSION: The results of this study showed that a subgroup of patients presents a significant weight gain after bariatric surgery, which is associated with episodes of loss of control over eating, concerns with body image and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: These results stress the relevance of body image concerns after surgery and the importance of clinically addressing these issues to optimize psychological functioning after bariatric surgery.

Objective This study is the result of two Portuguese case– control studies that examined the replication of retrospective correlates and preceding life events in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) development. This study aims to identify retrospective correlates that distinguish AN and BN Method A case–control design was used to compare a group of women who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for AN (N = 98) and BN (N = 79) with healthy controls (N = 86) and with other psychiatric disorders (N = 68). Each control group was matched with AN patients regarding age and parental social categories. Risk factors were assessed by interviewing each person with the Oxford Risk Factor Interview. Results Compared to AN, women with BN reported significantly higher rates of paternal high expectations, excessive family importance placed on fitness/keeping in shape, and negative consequences due to adolescent overweight and adolescent objective overweight. Discussion Overweight during adolescence emerged as the most relevant retrospective correlate in the distinction between BN and AN participants. Family expectations and the importance placed on keeping in shape were also significant retrospective correlates in the BN group.

Background: Bulimia nervosa is often related to self-control difficulties and to self-harm behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of self-injurious behavior, suicide attempts and other behaviors’ related to impulsivity in bulimia nervosa, using two control groups (a healthy group and a general psychiatric group), and also to examine the association between sexual abuse and parasuicide behaviours in bulimia nervosa. Method: Women (N =233) aged between 13 to 38 years old were evaluated using the Risk Factors for Eating Disorders Interview Schedule (RFI; Fairburn et al., 1998). Results: Participants with bulimia nervosa reported more self-injurious behaviours, suicide attempts by drug intake, and poor control in smoking and drugs use compared with participants in both control groups. Bulimia nervosa group also presented more spending behaviors’ compared with the general psychiatric control group. No association was found between sexual abuse and parasuicide behaviors amongst bulimia nervosa participants. Conclusions: This study concluded that BN is commonly related to self-harm behaviours, and clinicians must take into account the multi-impulsive spectrum behaviours of BN in their evaluation and treatment of BN.

ObjectiveThe first aim of the current study was to establish general population norms for the Portuguese version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in a large community sample of female adolescents and young women, as well, for a diverse Eating Disorder (ED) clinical sample, and for women with obesity without an ED. A second aim of the study was to assess the discriminant validity of the EDE-Q and providing cut-off scores for the total scale and subscales.MethodA sample of female adolescents and young women (N=4091) from the general population, 416 women who met diagnostic criteria for an ED and 138 women seeking obesity treatment completed the EDE-Q.ResultsNorms for the EDE-Q global subscale were provided. Within the community sample, norms were provided for both high school and college samples. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the EDE-Q total score accurately discriminate between participants with and without an ED. Current norm contributes to the clinical utility of the EDE-Q, providing both a cut-off score and reliable change index. Results showed that the EDE-Q is a reliable instrument, but the theorized four subscales structure was not supported by an explorative factor analysis.ConclusionResults will help both researchers and clinicians interpreting the EDE-Q scores and to establish comparison with data produced in different countries. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Background: Bulimia nervosa (BN) is often related to self-control difficulties and to dysregulated behaviours. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of self-injurious behaviour, suicide attempts, and other dysregulated behaviours in BN, using two control groups (a healthy group and a general psychiatric group), and also to examine the association between these behaviours and alleged sexual abuse in BN. Method: Women (N = 233) aged between 13 and 38 years old were evaluated using a semi-structured interview. Results: Participants with BN reported more self-injurious behaviours, suicide attempts by drug intake, and poor control in smoking and illicit drugs use compared with participants in both control groups. Participants with BN also reported more spending behaviours when compared with the general psychiatric control group. The use of illegal drugs and medication was significantly related to alleged sexual abuse in BN participants. Conclusions: This study concluded that BN is often related to dysregulated behaviours, and clinicians must take into account the multi-impulsive spectrum behaviours of BN in their evaluation and treatment of BN.