A profile of early versus late onset of obesity in postmenopausal women

Obesity is a serious health problem among women across the life span. Altho ugh people can become obese at any age, there is a large proportion of olde r women who have been obese since childhood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether postmenopausal women with an early versus late onset o f obesity manifested differences in body habitus, eating behaviors, and moo d. One hundred thirty-five postmenopausal women with obesity responded to s elf-report questionnaires on weight history, weight loss and maintenance ex pectancy, eating behaviors, and mood. Women with an early onset of obesity had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and highest attained adult body weight than women with a late onset of obesity. They had attempted a significantly larger number of diets and had lost mor e weight on any single diet. The groups also differed significantly on bing e eating and overeating in response to negative affect. There was a tendenc y for women with an early onset to have more depressive and anxious symptom s. Postmenopausal women with an early onset of obesity differed physiologic ally and psychologically from those with a late onset. Tailoring dietary an d behavioral interventions to profiles of postmenopausal women based on ons et of obesity may improve the overall efficacy of weight loss programs.