Personality profiles of the morbidly obese (original) (raw)

Personality assessment in morbid obesity

German J Psychiatry, 2002

Objective: To analyze the personality traits and psychological discomfort, eighteen months after bariatric surgery (vertical banded gastroplasty) in morbidly obese patients. Method: We used the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II) for assessing personality traits in 100 morbidly obese patients. Results: Six basic factor dimensions in the mental state were obtained: (1) Personality traits and Psychological Discomfort, (2) Histrionic-Narcissistic-Antisocial, (3) Neurotic, (4) Paranoid, (5) Alcohol dependence, and (6) Dependent. Conclusions: Our results suggest that people with morbid obesity after bariatric surgery share characteristics of personality disturbances and psychological discomfort, and that subtypes of different personality dimensions are associated with wide groups of psychopathological symptoms (

Personality characteristics in obesity and relationship with successful weight loss

International journal of obesity (2005), 2007

Personality influences lifestyle behaviors. Therefore, certain personality traits could contribute to obesity and the response to behaviorally based weight loss therapy. The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that personality characteristics differ between lean and obese persons in the community, obese persons in the community and obese persons seeking weight loss therapy by enrolling in a comprehensive weight loss program, and in obese persons who were successful and unsuccessful in achieving behavioral therapy-induced weight loss. The Temperament and Character Inventory was administered to 264 lean (body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m(2)) and 56 obese (BMI> or =35 kg/m(2)) subjects from the St Louis community and 183 obese patients (BMI=44+/-10 kg/m(2)) enrolled in the Washington University Weight Management Program (WUWMP), which involved weekly group behavioral therapy and diet education sessions for 22 weeks. Compared with lean subjects, obese subjects in the commu...

Personality and Obese Body Mass Index

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

This study investigated the relationship between obese range Body Mass Index (BMI) and personality variables as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). The sample consisted of 129 obese participants referred for preoperative psychological evaluation. Each completed an MMPI-2 and clinical interview. Multilevel linear regression analysis was used to assess the contribution of personality variables to the prediction of variance in obese range BMI. Age, Scale 9 (Hypomania), and Scale 4 (Psychopathic Deviate) emerged as statistically significant predictors of BMI. Each predicted 7.8%, 6.4%, and 3.1% of the variance of participant BMI, respectively, with a combined prediction power of 17.3%. F-scores for the final, best fit model, with age on Level 1 and Scale 9 and Scale 4 on Level 2, were statistically significant (p<.0009). Results suggest severely obese bariatric surgery candidates may be more prone to impulsivity, irritability, and instability. However, limited predictive power of MMPI-2 scales indicates restricted clinical utility.

Personality Features in Obesity

Frontiers in Psychology, 2021

Obesity is a widespread and broadly consequential health condition associated with numerous medical complications that could increase mortality rates. As personality concerned individual’s patterns of feeling, behavior, and thinking, it may help in understanding how people with obesity differ from people with normal-weight status in their typical weight-relevant behavior. So far, studies about personality and BMI associations have mainly focused on broad personality traits. The main purpose of this study was to explore the personality and health associations among a clinical group composed of 46 outpatients with overweight/obesity (mean age = 55.83; SD = 12.84) in comparison to a healthy control group that included 46 subjects (mean age = 54.96; SD = 12.60). Both the clinical and control groups were composed of 14 males and 32 females. Several personality and psychopathological aspects were assessed with the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). The results of the analysis of vari...

A study of personality subtypes in treatment seeking obese patients

Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 2014

Previous research has not been able to identify a distinct personality style that refers specifically to obese individuals. The purpose of this investigation was to explore whether different personality-based groups can be identified in obese individuals, as has been shown with eating disorder patients. Data were collected from 149 obese patients (BMI = 37.3, ± 6.4; 83% female) seeking dietary treatment and psychological support for their weight problems. Participants completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III; Millon, 1997) and a battery of eight measures assessing psychological distress, mood states, eating behaviors, obesity-related quality of life, and interpersonal problems. The MCMI-III personality scales were cluster analysed to classify participants into personality subtypes. Three personality clusters were retained (externalizing, internalizing, high-functioning), and several differences in the validating variables emerged across the three personality ...

The Impact of Personality Traits on the Success of a Multimodal Obesity Treatment

Behavioral Medicine, 2011

This prospective study investigated personality traits as predictors of the outcome in a 52week weight-loss program for obesity. Personality traits were rated with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) in 54 consecutive obese outpatients when entering a multimodal weight-reduction program. The value of these variables to predict success was assessed after 12, 26, and 52 weeks of treatment. A stepwise linear regression analysis for all follow-ups was calculated to examine the impact of each IIP subscale on weight reduction. The IIP subscale "intrusive or needy" significantly correlated with weight reduction observed at every follow-up examination and accounts for 13.6% to 29.8% of the variance (p values < .05). Obese patients describing themselves as excessively friendly, outgoing, and sociable improved more from a weight-loss program than those with lower instances of these traits. Accordingly, personality traits deserve more attention at initial assessment and while planning treatment of obese patients.

Personality traits in overweight and obese women: Associations with BMI and eating behaviors

Eating Behaviors, 2008

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which personality traits are related to BMI and eating behaviors in overweight and obese women (N = 154; mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.5 ± 3.0 kg/m 2 ). The NEO Five-Factor Inventory was used to capture the five dimensions of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness). Anthropometric measurements (weight, height and BMI) were performed and eating behaviors (cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger) were measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Regressional analyses showed that only conscientiousness was positively related to BMI. A higher level of neuroticism was identified as a significant predictor of higher scores for cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger. Conscientiousness was also found to be a positive determinant of cognitive dietary restraint and a higher level of agreeableness predicted a lower score of susceptibility to hunger. Results also underline the presence of other psychological factors, i.e. dysphoria and body esteem, involved in the associations between personality traits and some eating behaviours. These findings suggest that particular dimensions of personality may contribute, either directly or through their association with other psychological factors, to a better understanding of weight and eating behaviors in overweight and obese women.

Personality and attrition from behavioral weight-loss treatment for obesity

General Hospital Psychiatry, 2008

Objective: Some personality features, as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), have recently been found to be related to successful weight outcome after both behavioral and surgical therapies for obesity. However, personality features could possibly influence attendance in obesity treatments as well. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore whether personality variables assessed by the TCI predict attrition from a behavioral weight-loss program for obesity. Method: The TCI was administered to 92 obese patients [body mass index (BMI) N30 kg/m 2 ] applying for a 6-month behavioral weight-loss program. Logistic stepwise regression analysis was performed to evaluate whether TCI scores predicted 6-month treatment attrition, after controlling for baseline psychiatric comorbidity, current age, gender, age at onset of obesity and initial BMI. Results: Sixty-two subjects (67.4%) completed the 6-month program, while 30 (32.6%) dropped out. Treatment attrition was predicted only by low reward dependence (P=.03) and the presence of mental disorders (P=.004). Conclusion: Personality features denoting difficulty relying on others' support (low reward dependence) are associated with treatment noncompletion in obese patients attending a behavioral weight-loss program. These data may possibly serve to inform clinicians how to proceed in order to reduce dropout risk.

The Relationship Between Personality and Obesity Literature Review

2021

Obesity is a worldwide medical condition that has been continuously increasing in scale and has been linked to various life-threatening diseases and conditions. The research aim of this paper is to investigate possible connections between obesity, weight gain, and personality traits as well as to compare different study designs to observe changes over time. It is important for both achieving more accurate findings, and for knowing how to design an ideal obesity treatment program that would make the best possible interventions from a developmental standpoint. Therefore, this literature review summarizes five studies on the relationship between obesity and personality traits that have taken either cross-sectional and/or longitudinal approaches based on different sample sizes with similar objectives, which was to assess the potential association between personality traits and obesity to make a better understanding, therefore, develop new treatment methods and health interventions that are more suited to people with different personality traits who are coping with obesity or who are trying to prevent weight gain. Most cross-sectional studies find links between the Big-Five Personality Traits and obesity while longitudinal studies-which are not as common as the cross-sectional ones-manage to find fewer links. The longitudinal results were only congruent with the associations with the agreeableness trait, which indicates that agreeableness is inversely associated with becoming obese. It is important to note that all the studies reviewed here agree that age and sex are not significant determinants in the relationship between obesity and personality. Nevertheless, personalized health interventions and treatment strategies are advised with divergences between the two study designs in mind.