Gastric banding for surgical treatment of obese patients - Psychological counseling and preliminary results

In the western industrial nations obesity is a wide-spread disease, which b rings along a massive financial burden for health systems. Evaluations of c urrent therapies show little effectiveness in the long run. At the universi ty of Wurzburg massively obese patients (body-mass-index > 40 kg/m(2)),who are interested in a gastric banding operation for weight reduction (restric tion of the stomach with a silicon band) are examined psychologically. In a ddition the patients have to fill out some questionnaires: two questionnair es referring to eating patterns (Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (german version) and the Inventory of Eating Behavior and Weight Problems), the Bec k Depression Inventory (german version), one questionnaire referring to sel f-acceptance, to contentment with life and to self-image, respectively. Six months after the operation the patients completed most of the before menti oned questionnaires. While the body-mass-index decreases from 47 to 37 kg/m (2) depression and self-acceptance improve significantly and some eating be havior patterns normalize. The possible importance of this operative therap y in comparison to conservative treatment of obesity is discussed.