Catherine R. Delin

Young children's figural selections: Accuracy of reporting and body size dissatisfaction

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to investigate childrens accuracy of reporting body size and gender differences in body size dissatisfaction among preadolescent Australian children. METHOD In an Australian partial replication of Dowdney, Woodward, Pickles, and Skuse (International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5, 29-40, 1995), children between 5 and 10 years of age (N = 195) made current and ideal figure choices using the Body Image Perception and Attitude Scale for Children (BIPAS-C), a nonsequentially ordered linear figural scale. RESULTS The results are consistent with accurate identification of their body size by Australian children at all the age levels. The girls, irrespective of age, preferred smaller ideal than current shapes and expressed greater body size dissatisfaction than did the boys. DISCUSSION The results are consistent with the body dissatisfaction found in adolescent and adult women and with those found in preadolescent children in the United States, Britain, and Israel.

An Exploration of the Outcomes of Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity: Patient Characteristics and Indices of Success

Background: The search for replicable predictors of the outcomes of surgical intervention for obesity has proven challenging, with patient selection being a recurrent theme in bariatric literature. Methods: In this study, 20 gastric bypass patients were interviewed at an average of 2 years following surgery. Subjects provided extensive data relating to their characteristics and experiences. Results: Statistical analyses were undertaken to establish likely predictors of success, both in terms of percentage of excess weight lost and in broader terms. It was found that self-esteem, some scales of the Adjective Checklist, and valuing of food and eating related to a successful outcome. Conclusion: Recommendations are made regarding an interview schedule for pre-operative assessment, and a prospective study to evaluate its predictive power is proposed.

Eating Behavior and the Experience of Hunger Following Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity

Background: Numerous different factors may contribute to the varying degrees of success observed following gastric bypass surgery. It is likely that alterations in the subjective experiences of hunger and satiety, as well as behavioral factors, are important. Our aim was to investigate the association of several factors, including qualitative aspects of hunger and satiety, eating patterns, and the emotional valence of different foods, to the weight loss that occurred following obesity surgery. Methods: A questionnaire covering aspects of hunger, eating and satiety was administered to three groups: (1) a group of people who had undergone gastric bypass surgery with an acceptable weight loss; (2) a morbidly obese group of patients prior to their surgical intervention; (3) a group of people of normal weight. Results: There were significant differences amongst the three groups in scoring on standardized eating disorder scales, in the amount they could eat, and in the experience of hunger. The presurgery, waiting-list group was more receptive to food-related than interoceptive cues when deciding to stop eating. ‘Eating styles’ also differed across the groups. Conclusions: It is concluded that changes in specific food-related behaviors and other psychological variables interact with the physical restriction to eating. The relative weighting of other variables needs further exploration.

A Preliminary Comparison of the Psychological Impact of Laparoscopic Gastric Banding and Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity

Background: Laparoscopic gastric banding has introduced a new element into weight reduction surgery. The authors compared subjects who had undergone a laparoscopic gastric banding (lap-band) procedure with those who had undergone a gastric bypass operation on relevant psychological and behavioral parameters. Methods: A self-report questionnaire developed by the researchers was used. It included questions about aspects of food and eating as well as attitudinal items relating to the outcome of the surgery. Results: There were significant differences between the lap-band group and the gastric bypass group in their distance from their desired weight, their eating, and their attitudes. Conclusion: 9 months after surgery, gastric bypass surgery appears to be the superior procedure on several parameters. The surgery induction process may be critical. Evaluation at later stages is vital.

How unpopular are we? Reassessing psychologists' public image with different measures of favourability

Psychologists in Australia have tended to survey their public image with specific questions, such as how useful psychologists are, or how willing people are to consult them. While responses to these questions have generally implied an unfavourable public impression of psychologists, research in the United States has shown that psychologists are perceived less favourably on direct measures of favourability (e.g., specific questions), than on indirect indicators (e.g., overall favourability ratings). To reassess the public perception of psychologists in Australia, a representative sample of 178 adults from South Australian metropolitan and rural areas was surveyed, with respondents required to appraise psychologists on both indirect and direct measures of favourability. As hypothesised, the public impression of psychologists was more favourable on the indirect measure. Regression analyses were also performed to identify the personal and attitudinal variables associated with responses on the measures of favo...

Success in Surgical Intervention for Morbid Obesity: Is Weight Loss Enough?

Varieties of gastric surgery have increasingly been used in the management of morbid obesity. Generally, however, research and commentary in this area have related to surgical technique, with weight loss or morbidity being regarded as the most important dependent measures. In the context of the publication of several papers relating to the effects of surgery in the long-term, we believe that it is timely for surgeons to examine their criteria for success. In this paper, we argue that weight loss is inadequate as a primary criterion for success in this context, and that the value of the intervention should be measured against a multidimensional concept of success.

PERCEPTIONS OF DISABILITY BY STUDENTS, THE FORMERLY OBESE, AND THE GENERAL COMMUNITY

There has been recurring interest over nearly three decades in preferences for different disabilities. In the present study, the perceptions of eight disabilities were compared across three groups, 42 occupational therapy students, 20 formerly obese, and 166 of the general community. A disability ranking task was adapted from a forced-choice task used by other researchers. Consistent with previous results, blindness was ranked as most difficult to live with. Contrary to prediction, there was no significant difference between the formerly obese subsample and the general community in their ranking of obesity; however, these groups differed in their ranking of diabetes. There were minor differences between the students and other groups. Across the entire sample, the disability of ‘needing a hearing aid’ was ranked as easiest to live with. Implications of the results are discussed, and suggestions made for further research.

Patterns and Preferences in Recreational Reading.

There is a dearth of information available regarding the nature of material which is self selected for recreational reading. Evidence from some studies strongly suggests that reading as an activity is in a significant decline (e.g., Hill 1985; Zill & Winglee 1990). Information about the personality characteristics of those who do read is also lacking. It is important that educators, librarians, and others concerned with reading as an activity understand the reading patterns and preferences in the community, and among students, so that policy decisions can be made. In the absence of previous research to serve as a guide, this questionnaire study was designed to address, among other issues, that of which individual characteristics might vary among readers of varieties of material. Relationships among the following variables were investigated: amount and nature of reading, attitudes to reading, measures of social resources, scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and basic demographic information. P...

Mental Activity, Health, and Life-Satisfaction

Systematic study of the cultural belief in a relationship between mental health and longevity has not been undertaken. No scale to measure ‘mental activity’ appears available. A questionnaire measuring ‘mental activity’ was administered to 166 community respondents. From a factor analysis 4 clear factors emerged. Factor scores were significantly correlated with scores on life-satisfaction, but few relationships with subscales of a health measure emerged. Some relationships with choice of free-time activities were noted. Further work on the scale and its correlates is recommended.