1 research outputs found
Psychological assessment of obese patients from guidelines to real world
Abstract: Major scientific guidelines on obesity medical management recognize the importance of assessing
issues such as eating behaviors, motivation to change and psychopathologies that may interfere with optimal
weight loss and long term maintenance. However it is an open question if the results of the assessment are really
taken into account in the choice of the treatment and which are the most useful instruments in assessing obese
patients. At least three surveys have attempted to characterize common practices that constitute the preoperative
psychological consultation for obese patients (Bauchowitz et al., 2005; Fabricatore, et al. 2006; Walfishet al.
2007), but perhaps the strongest conclusion is that no practice is universal. Italian guidelines on obesity
treatment (LIGIO, 1999) only contain general indications for instruments useful in psychological assessment .
In this workshop we will compare the sets of assessment tools used in a sample of 9 eating disorder centers in
Northern Italy with those reported in these three surveys The tests and procedures selected for the evaluation
depend on the domains the consultant believes are important to assess. Available guidelines do not recommend
the use of any specific psychological assessment tool. Since we consider that not only psychopathological but
also psychological factors influence the choice of a specific therapy, we will propose and discuss with the
participants a set of tools which could be useful to assess both aspects