Metabolic syndrome in obese men and women with binge eating disorder: developmental trajectories of eating and weight-related behaviors.

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), characterized by vascular symptoms, is strongly correlated with obesity, weight-related medical diseases, and mortality and has increased commensurately with secular increases in obesity in the United States. Little is known about the distribution of MetSyn in obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED) or its associations with different developmental trajectories of dieting, binge eating, and obesity problems. Furthermore, inconsistencies in the limited data necessitate elucidation.

Metabolic syndrome in obese patients with binge-eating disorder in primary care clinics: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The distribution and nature of metabolic syndrome in obese patients with binge-eating disorder (BED) are largely unknown and require investigation, particularly in general internal medicine settings. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the frequency of metabolic syndrome and (2) explore its eating- and weight-related correlates in obese patients with BED.

Method: This was a cross-sectional analysis of 81 consecutive treatment-seeking obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) patients (21 men, 60 women) who met DSM-IV-TR research criteria for BED (either subthreshold criteria: ≥ 1 binge weekly, n = 19 or full criteria: ≥ 2 binges weekly, n = 62).

Socially desirable responding by bariatric surgery candidates during psychological assessment.

Background: Most bariatric surgery programs in the United States require preoperative psychological evaluations for candidates for surgery. Among those who perform these evaluations is concern that many patients engage in "impression management" or minimizing the symptoms of distress to receive a recommendation to proceed with surgery from the mental health professional. We sought to assess the prevalence of socially desirable responding and its associations with measures of psychological functioning among bariatric surgery candidates at 2 academic medical centers in the United States.

A biopsychosocial approach to liver transplant evaluation in two patients with Wilson's disease.

Wilson's disease (WD) is characterized by hepatic, neurological, and/or psychiatric disturbances. In some cases, liver transplantation is indicated. Because psychologists and other health care workers play an increasing role in the evaluation of individuals presenting for transplant, an understanding of the heterogeneous phenotype of WD is important for mental health professionals working in medical settings.

Psychosocial predictors of intentions to comply with bariatric surgery guidelines.

An increasing body of research suggests that many patients have difficulty adopting the eating guidelines after weight-loss surgery, thereby reducing the long-term success of the procedure. Given such difficulties, it is possible that the typical preoperative education regarding post-surgical eating behavior guidelines is ineffective in motivating some individuals to comply. Presently, no accurate predictors of intentions to comply with post-bariatric surgery guidelines have been identified.

Cognitive performance of morbidly obese patients seeking bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery is efficacious for the treatment of severe obesity; however, little empirical research exists describing the demographic, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics of patients presenting for the surgery. One hundred and sixty-nine morbidly obese patients seeking bariatric surgery underwent a presurgical psychological assessment, including cognitive testing. Morbidly obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery were similar in education, income status, and IQ compared with normative data.

Evidence of executive dysfunction in extremely obese adolescents: a pilot study.

Background: Obesity in children and adolescents is 1 of the most urgent and serious health threats confronting the United States. Extremely obese adolescents (body mass index >99th percentile for age and gender) are a unique subgroup of obese youth who are at considerable medical and psychosocial risk. Little is known about the cognitive function of extremely obese adolescents.

Neuropsychological performance of a clinical sample of extremely obese individuals.

Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in America and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. While it is known that individuals with specific obesity-related medical conditions perform poorly on neuropsychological tasks, recent evidence suggests that cognitive dysfunction in obese individuals may occur independently of medical co-morbidities. This study examined neuropsychological performance in a clinical sample of extremely obese patients.

The Iowa gambling task as a measure of decision making in women with bulimia nervosa.

Persistent chaotic feeding behavior (i.e., bingeing and purging), despite consequent adverse health and psychosocial consequences, is central to the definition and diagnosis of bulimia nervosa (BN).