Alexithymia and Body Weight in Obese Patients

Abstract

The authors evaluated severely obese patients to determine whether being far different in body shape from the accepted standard may cause obese people to develop alexithymic personality traits. They evaluated the food- and weight-related attitudes in obesity surgery patients and in long-term follow-up of those who had previously had biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) for obesity. One quarter of the obese patients had alexithymic characteristics without any modification following stable weight loss, a rate of alexithymia similar to that observed in the nonclinical population. Furthermore, the frequency of alexithymia and the patients' scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were similar in obese and post-BPD individuals. The authors concluded that being obese by itself does not influence the presence of alexithymic personality traits. However, they suggest that the improvement in food-related and weight-related attitudes following stable weight loss may be different in alexithymic and in nonalexithymic obese patients.

Key Words:

• alexithymia
• body shape attitudes
• eating behavior
• obesity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nicola Scopinaro

Four of the authors are with the Università di Genova, Genova, Italy. Dr Adami, Ms Leggieri, and Dr Scopinaro are with the Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Facoltà di Medicina. Dr Adami, who is an associate professor of clinical nutrition, is also with the Dipartimento Assistenziale Endocrino-Metabolico, Ospedale San Martino, Genova, as is Dr Campostano. Dr Ravera is an associate professor of statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy.