Allied health articlePsychological correlates of obese patients seeking surgical or residential behavioral weight loss treatment
Section snippets
Subjects
Individuals seeking treatment for obesity at either a residential weight loss program with a cognitive-behavioral focus or a hospital-based surgical weight loss program offering both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic banding procedures were included in this study. All had agreed for their data to be used for research purposes under protocols approved by the Duke University Medical Center Institutional Review Board for Clinical Investigations. All individuals assessed within a designated
Body mass index
The weight loss surgery program included only patients with BMI ≥35 kg/m2; the behavioral group was culled for eligible participants with a BMI in this same range. Thus, no significant difference was present in the mean BMI of the 2 samples. The behavioral treatment group selected for having a BMI ≥35 kg/m2 had a mean BMI of 45.82 ±9.02 kg/m2; the surgical treatment-seeking group had a mean BMI of 47.55 ±6.90 kg/m2.
Gender
The gender composition for the behavioral treatment group (n = 101) was 33% male
Discussion
Although extensive guidelines have been established to assist healthcare providers to make appropriate treatment recommendations for patients with obesity, the ultimate decision for treatment modality selection is made by the patient. Many individuals seeking treatment at behavioral and surgical weight loss centers are self-referred and thus use their own set of criteria in determining a course of action to lose weight. We believe that patients consider cost, access, insurance coverage,
Disclosures
The authors have no commercial associations that might be a conflict of interest in relation to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Alexa Connell, Research Coordinator for Structure House, Center for Weight Control and Lifestyle Change for her assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.
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