Treatment

Epidemiology
It is estimated that 34% of adults in the United States are obese. The prevalence increases with age up to age 50, at which point it falls sharply in accordance with…

Differential Diagnosis
Body mass index, or BMI, which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared, is the standard for determining obesity. A BMI under 25 is…

Psychiatric Comorbidity
As noted, as many as 50% of obese individuals engage in recurrent binge eating. Approximately one-fourth of obese binge eaters meet the diagnostic criteria for major depression compared with fewer than…

Introduction
Simple obesity is not included among the eating disorders in DSM-IV. However, when there is evidence that psychological factors play a substantial etiological role in a specific case, this may be…