The Eating Disorder Inventory in a UK National Health Service Obesity Clinic and its response to modest weight loss.

OBJECTIVE: Using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) to identify a normative range in a UK obese population referred to a specialist hospital obesity clinic and to assess the response of the scale to the nonsurgical treatment of obesity.
METHODS: A total of 100 obese (BMI>30) patients attending an obesity clinic completed the EDI-2. In a separate sample, 45 obese patients participated in a dietary weight loss program consisting of an acute (10 weeks) and a long-term (2 year) weight maintenance phase. The EDI-2 was administered at baseline and at the end of the acute weight loss phase.
RESULTS: Most obese subjects showed elevated scores for body dissatisfaction (BD), which improved with weight loss. Eight percent had EDI scores suggesting psychological traits central to eating disorders.
CONCLUSION: Most obese subjects do not have a trait central to an eating disorder as defined by the EDI-2, but do have high scores for BD that respond to weight loss. A few patients show scores suggesting an eating disorder that may benefit from psychological evaluation.