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Special Issue "The Global Pandemic of Obesity: Psychological Processes, Perspectives, and Treatments for Obesity Management"

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberto Cattivelli

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Guest Editor

1. Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145, Milan, Italy
2. Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: health psychology; lifestyle; acceptance and commitment therapy; obesity; behavioral change

Dr. Anna Guerrini Usubini

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Assistant Guest Editor

1. Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
2. Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: obesity rehabilitation; psychological health; emotional eating; emotional regulation; psychological flexibility; acceptance and commitment therapy; healthy lifestyle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in global public health. Recent estimates have pointed out that over the last few decades of the 1900s, obesity reached epidemic proportions, and its prevalence is still rising. Defined as an excess of body fat, obesity is a significant risk factor for a plethora of physical, psychological, and social problems, all of which can heavily impact health, quality of life, and global functioning. Given the complex nature of the phenomenon, comprehensive multidisciplinary and multi-component lifestyle interventions for the management of obesity in adults are recommended, in which the psychological component is crucial. Even if such programs have been recognized as effective in promoting healthy lifestyle adoption, the maintenance of behavioral change remains challenging. This evidence has spurred research to investigate which factors represent barriers to weight loss maintenance and which factors may influence the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, researchers are required to plan and develop effective treatments for long-standing weight loss.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on the psychological processes related to obesity, involved in the onset and maintenance. Special emphasis will be provided to deepen the role of psychological processes that may affect actual eating behaviors. Papers addressing this topic, as well as contributions that include advanced treatment perspectives are welcomed to this issue.

Dr. Roberto Cattivelli
Dr. Anna Guerrini Usubini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

obesity rehabilitation
psychological processes
process-based therapy
healthy lifestyle
behavioral change
eating disorders
emotional eating
food addiction
eating addiction

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Can Nutritional Status in Adults Be Influenced by Health Locus of Control?

Wojciech Gruszka

Aleksander J. Owczarek

Mateusz Glinianowicz

Monika Bąk-Sosnowska

Jerzy Chudek

and

Magdalena Olszanecka-Glinianowicz

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15513; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315513 - 23 Nov 2022

Viewed by 883

Abstract

The external health locus of control (HLC) is based on an assumption that obtained health results depend on the influences of external factors. As for the internal HLC—that is the effect of our own actions and capabilities. Little is known regarding how the HLC can influence body weight or the occurrence of visceral obesity. The study aimed to assess the relationship between the health locus of control and nutritional status in adults. The study included 744 adults (452 women, 292 men; 2.8% underweight, 43.8% normal weight, 29.7% overweight, and 23.7% obese). In addition to anthropometric measurement and socio-demographic data, the health locus of control, using the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC) by Wallston K, Wallston B, and DeVellis R, was assessed. The percentage of subjects with an internal HLC did not differ significantly between obese, overweight, and normal-weight groups. However, the percentage of subjects with an external HLC—dependent on the impact of others—was significantly higher in both men and women with obesity than in corresponding overweight and normal-weight groups (p < 0.01). Yet, the percentage of subjects with an external HLC subject to the impact of chance was significantly higher among overweight and obese women than in those of normal weight (p < 0.05) only. Women with overweight or obesity, with external health locus of control, experienced both the impact of others and of chance more often than women with normal weight. However, men with overweight and with obesity more often had external health locus of control influenced only by others. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Pandemic of Obesity: Psychological Processes, Perspectives, and Treatments for Obesity Management)

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Open AccessArticle

Association of Diet, Body Mass Index, and Lifestyle on the Gastrointestinal Health Risk in a Sample of Adults

Reyna Sámano

Fernanda Esparza-Juárez

Gabriela Chico-Barba

Erika González-Medina

Bernarda Sánchez-Jiménez

and

María Hernández-Trejo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10569; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710569 - 25 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1345

Abstract

Gastrointestinal functional disorders are characterized by abnormalities in motility with visceral hypersensitivity, representing a global public health problem. We aimed to determine whether eating habits, lifestyle characteristics, and body mass index (BMI) are associated with gastrointestinal health risk. The Gastrointestinal Health (GIH) test of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) and the Roma IV criteria were applied. We obtained information on food consumption habits and aerobic exercise, among other variables. Not exercising regularly, drinking water and eating vegetables less than recommended, having high body weight, and taking symptomatic medication were variables that explained 73% of the probabilities of not having good GIH (R² = 0.734). According to Rome IV criteria, women had a 50% higher risk than men of having functional bowel disorder (RR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.45). Among the men studied, eating few or no vegetables and drinking less than 1 L of water daily was more frequent; however, the women had significantly more intestinal symptoms. In addition, constipation was higher among women than men (p = 0.020). All of the above explains the prognostic value of eating habits and the importance of paying attention to body weight to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Pandemic of Obesity: Psychological Processes, Perspectives, and Treatments for Obesity Management)

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Special Issue "The Global Pandemic of Obesity: Psychological Processes, Perspectives, and Treatments for Obesity Management"

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