Factors associated with suicide ideation in severely obese bariatric surgery-seeking individuals.

There are high rates of suicide ideation and/or behavior in severely obese individuals. The potential contributors to suicide ideation in a sample of 334 severely obese bariatric surgery candidates was explored. Lack of college education, a history of suicide ideation and/or behavior, psychological distress, hopelessness, loneliness, history of physical and/or sexual abuse, and lifetime major depression were associated with current suicide ideation. Some of the correlates of suicide ideation in severely obese bariatric surgery-seeking samples are similar to those found in the general community and this knowledge may serve to improve the psychological assessment and care for this group.

Compensatory eating disorder behaviors and gastric bypass surgery outcome.

OBJECTIVE: This study prospectively examined the role of compensatory eating disorder behavior on gastric bypass (GB) surgery weight-loss outcome. METHOD: The compensatory behaviors of 199 GB patients were evaluated presurgically using the Questionnaire of Eating and Weight Patterns. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the presence of compensatory behavior on 6-month postsurgery body mass index (BMI), and 1-year postsurgery BMI, controlling for age, sex, race, age becoming overweight, number of weeks postsurgery, and presurgery BMI. RESULTS: The presence of presurgery compensatory behavior emerged as a small but significant predictor of lower BMI 6-months postsurgery although not at 1-year postsurgery. Other common predictors for lower BMI at 6-months and 1-year postsurgery were lower presurgery BMI and greater number of weeks postsurgery. Female sex also predicted lower BMI 1-year postsurgery. DISCUSSION: These results must be taken with caution as they contradict clinical guidelines. Future research is needed to replicate these findings.