Correlation patterns between lifetime mood spectrum, impulsivity, and disordered eating behaviors in candidates to bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE

A mutual influence between mood disorders and obesity has been reported. Maladapting eating behaviors associated with mood spectrum swings may play a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of obesity. Considering that, the aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between problematic eating behaviors, namely emotional eating, grazing and night eating, with impulsivity and lifetime mood spectrum (mood, energy, cognition, rhythmicity and vegetative functions) in severe obese patients seeking bariatric surgery.

METHODS

304 obese outpatients were recruited at the Psychiatric Unit of the University Hospital of Pisa. Participants completed psychometric tools including the Emotional Eating Scale (EES), the Italian-Night Eating Questionnaire (I-NEQ), the Grazing Questionnaire (GRAZ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report - lifetime version (MOODS-SR). Descriptive analyses and linear correlation were performed.

RESULTS

The sample was predominantly female (71.4%), with a mean age of 47.5 ± 10.9 years and a mean BMI of 43.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2. Impulsivity was positively correlated with depressive and manic mood, energy, and cognitive MOODS-SR domains. Emotional eating, night eating, and grazing were significantly associated with the MOODS-SR total score (r=0.422, p=0.000; r=0.321, p=0.001; r=0.321, p=0.000, respectively) and with specific depressive and manic subdomains of the MOODS-SR.

CONCLUSION

Loss-of-control eating behaviors were positively associated with lifetime depressive and manic mood spectrum features in bariatric patients, highlighting the importance of assessing these dimensions to promote a tailored and integrated treatment.