Do clinical and behavioural correlates of obese patients seeking bariatric surgery differ from those of individuals involved in conservative weight loss programme?

Background: Clinical practice has suggested that, in severely obese patients seeking bariatric surgery, clinical conditions, behavioural characteristics and psychological status might all differ from those of their counterparts starting conventional conservative therapy.

Methods: Two groups of obese patients with closely similar body mass values were considered. The first group included individuals voluntarily and spontaneously seeking biliopancreatic diversion and the second group comprised patients at the beginning of a weight loss programme.