Psychosocial factors, eating behaviour and Body Mass Index

Objective: Obesity is a multifactorial condition that is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality, but the negative consequences of obesity vary between individuals. Considerable evidence suggests that Body Mass Index (BMI) needs to be completed with an assessment of psychological and behavioural factors related to obesity in order to provide adequate treatment for patients with obesity. However, there is a lack of understanding concerning psychological factors and behavioural patterns related to weight status. The present study aimed to identify different profiles of individuals with normal-weight, overweight and obesity Methods: Seventy-six healthy individuals were weighed and measured, then characterized according to their responses to several questionnaires assessing sociodemographic variables, food-related variables, quality of life variables, body image, and psychological aspects.Results: Our results show that health and body dissatisfaction, sensation seeking, and frequent consumption of fatty-savoury foods were higher in individuals with higher BMI. Moreover, a hierarchical cluster analysis permitted to identify 3 profiles of individuals with various weight statuses: satisfied, protected and vulnerable. Conclusions: The implication of these findings in caring patients is crucial and more research on the various phenotypes that can be found within overweight and obesity groups must be encouraged