Internalized weight bias in patients presenting for bariatric surgery

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Bariatric Medicine
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Internalized weight bias (IWB) is linked to adverse psychosocial outcomes in individuals with elevated BMI.
• Understanding IWB's impact is critical for bariatric surgery candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the psychometric properties of the Weight-Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS).
• To identify correlates of IWB in pre-surgical bariatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Administered self-report measures assessing IWB, body dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and eating behaviors.
• Utilized confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses.

Main Results:

• The WBIS demonstrated an acceptable one-factor structure in this population.
• IWB positively correlated with body dissatisfaction, various eating behaviors, depression, and anxiety.
• IWB negatively correlated with quality of life and was higher in those with loss of control over eating.

Conclusions:

• IWB is significantly associated with body image, disordered eating, and quality of life in bariatric patients.
• Findings underscore the importance of considering IWB in bariatric patient care.
• Further research on longitudinal effects of IWB post-surgery is warranted.