Canice E. Crerand

The Power of Food Scale. A new measure of the psychological influence of the food environment.

This paper describes the psychometric evaluation of a new measure called the Power of Food Scale (PFS). The PFS assesses the psychological impact of living in food-abundant environments. It measures appetite for, rather than consumption of, palatable foods, at three levels of food proximity (food available, food present, and food tasted). Participants were 466 healthy college students. A confirmatory factor analysis replicated the three-factor solution found previously by Capelleri et al. [Capelleri, J. C., Bushmakin, A. G., Gerber, R. A., Leidy, N. K., Sexton, C., Karlsson, J., et al. (in press). Discovering the structure of the Power of Food Scale (PFS) in obese patients. International Journal of Obesity, 11, A165]. The PFS was found to have adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The PFS and the Restraint Scale were regressed on four self-report measures of overeating. The PFS was independently related to all four whereas the Restraint Scale was independently related to two. Expert ratings of items suggested that the items are an acceptable reflection of the construct that the PFS is designed to capture. The PFS may be useful as a measure of the hedonic impact of food environments replete with highly palatable foods.

Body image and cosmetic medical treatments.

Cosmetic medical treatments have become increasingly popular over the past decade. The explosion in popularity can be attributed to several factors-the evolution of safer, minimally invasive procedures, increased mass media attention, and the greater willingness of individuals to undergo cosmetic procedures as a means to enhance physical appearance. Medical and mental health professionals have long been interested in understanding both the motivations for seeking a change in physical appearance as well as the psychological outcomes of these treatments. Body image has been thought to play a key role in the decision to seek cosmetic procedures, however, only recently have studies investigated the pre- and postoperative body image concerns of patients. While body image dissatisfaction may motivate the pursuit of cosmetic medical treatments, psychiatric disorders characterized by body image disturbances, such as body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders, may be relatively common among these patients. Subsequent research on persons who alter their physical appearance through cosmetic medical treatments are likely provide important information on the nature of body image.

Night Eating Syndrome and Binge Eating Disorder among Persons Seeking Bariatric Surgery: Prevalence and Related Features

Objective: To assess the prevalence of night eating syndrome (NES) and binge eating disorder (BED) and their related behavioral and psychological correlates in persons who sought bariatric surgery.

Body dysmorphic disorder and cosmetic surgery.

Learning Objectives: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Identify the diagnostic criteria and clinical features of body dysmorphic disorder. 2. Describe the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in cosmetic populations. 3. Identify appropriate treatment strategies for body dysmorphic disorder. Background: Body dysmorphic disorder is a relatively common psychiatric disorder among persons who seek cosmetic surgical and minimally invasive treatments. Methods: This article reviews the history of the diagnosis and the current diagnostic criteria. Etiologic theories, clinical and demographic characteristics, and comorbidity, including the relationship of body dysmorphic disorder to obsessive-compulsive spectrum and impulse control disorders, are discussed. The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in cosmetic populations is highlighted. Treatments for body dysmorphic disorder, including medical, psychiatric, and psychological interventions, are reviewed. Results: Body dysmorphic disorder is an often severe, impairing disorder. Among patients presenting for cosmetic treatments, 7 to 15 percent may suffer from the condition. Retrospective outcome studies suggest that persons with body dysmorphic disorder typically do not benefit from cosmetic procedures. Pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, in contrast, appear to be effective treatments for body dysmorphic disorder. Conclusions: Because of the frequency with which persons with body dysmorphic disorder pursue cosmetic procedures, providers of cosmetic surgical and minimally invasive treatments may be able to identify and refer these patients for appropriate mental health care. Directions for future research are suggested.

Comparison of Psychosocial Status in Treatment-Seeking Women with Class III vs. Class I–II Obesity

Objective: This study compared the psychosocial status and weight loss expectations of women with extreme (class III) obesity who sought bariatric surgery with those of women with class I–II obesity who enrolled in a research study on behavioral weight control.

Body dysmorphic disorder and appearance enhancing medical treatments

This article reviews the literature on body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in persons who seek appearance enhancing medical treatments such as cosmetic surgery and dermatological treatment. We begin with a discussion of the growing popularity of cosmetic surgical and minimally invasive treatments. The literature investigating the psychological characteristics is briefly highlighted. Studies investigating the rate of BDD among persons who seek appearance enhancing treatments are detailed and, collectively, suggest that approximately 5-15% of individuals who seek these treatments suffer from BDD. Retrospective reports suggest that persons with BDD rarely experience improvement in their symptoms following these treatments, leading some to suggest that BDD is a contraindication to cosmetic surgery and other treatments. The clinical management of patients with BDD who present for these treatments is briefly described and directions for future research are provided.

Previous weight loss experiences of bariatric surgery candidates : How much have patients dieted prior to surgery?

Objective: To describe the dieting histories of bariatric surgery candidates.

Surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures among persons with body dysmorphic disorder.

Persons with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) frequently seek surgical and minimally invasive (MI) treatments to improve their appearance, but few studies have evaluated patient characteristics and outcomes. Surgical/MI treatment histories of 200 persons with BDD were cross-sectionally/retrospectively evaluated. Clinical and demographic characteristics of persons who received such treatments (n = 42) were compared to those who had not (n = 158). Outcomes and reasons for nonreceipt of requested procedures were examined. Receivers of surgical/MI treatments reported less severe current BDD symptoms and delusionality than persons who did not receive such treatments. Surgical/MI treatments were more likely than other cosmetic procedures to decrease preoccupation with the treated body part; however, overall BDD severity improved with only 2.3% of treatments. Cost and physician refusal were the most common reasons requested treatment was not received. However, physicians were more likely to provide requested surgical/MI treatment than other types of requested cosmetic treatment, despite the poor longer-term outcome.

The Effect of Training in Reduced Energy Density Eating and Food Self-monitoring Accuracy on Weight Loss Maintenance

Background: Failure to maintain weight losses in lifestyle change programs continues to be a major problem and warrants investigation of innovative approaches to weight control.

Psychological considerations in cosmetic breast augmentation

Within the past decade, the popularity of cosmetic breast augmentation has surged and, with it, the interest in the psychological aspects of the procedure. Investigations of women who seek cosmetic breast augmentation have examined both their psychosocial characteristics and their motivations for surgery. Dissatisfaction both with body image and with breast size and/or shape are thought to be primary motivators for surgery. It is common for women seeking cosmetic breast augmentation to have some body image dissatisfaction. However, a considerable minority may suffer from excessive dissatisfaction consistent with the psychiatric diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder, which is believed to contraindicate cosmetic surgery. Following breast augmentation, most women report satisfaction with the aesthetic result and improvements in body image. The impact of the procedure on other areas of functioning, such as self-esteem and quality of life, is less clear. These positive outcomes have been tempered by recent epidemiological studies that have identified a relationship between cosmetic breast implants and suicide. This article reviews this literature and provides recommendations to plastic surgical nurses regarding the psychological assessment and management of patients seeking breast augmentation.