Obesity, Disordered Eating, And the Bariatric Surgery Population: Implications for Psychotherapy (Research) (Cover Story‪)‬

Abstract Disordered eating is a common problem in contemporary society, often leading to marked obesity. The proportion of persons characterized as morbidly obese has increased dramatically over the past 40 years. One result of this trend is a rapidly growing population of clients undergoing bariatric surgery, a medical means of reducing one's weight and future food intake. However, many bariatric surgery clients continue showing disordered eating behaviors post surgery because an eating disorder was not diagnosed or addressed clinically before the surgery occurred. This article briefly summarizes how obesity, disordered eating, and bariatric surgery may be related. Methods for assessing disordered eating in this population are offered.