Investigating the psychological factors associated with obesity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation of early attachment experiences and the application of a cognitive model of Bulimia Nervosa in an overweight/obese population.
IRAS ID
198873
Contact name
Esme Banting
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Obesity is an increasing problem in current society. Although several psychological theories of obesity exist, it is a condition that remains poorly understood, and for which treatment outcomes are less than satisfactory.
Recent developments in the field have highlighted the role of cognitive factors (thoughts and beliefs) in explaining the development and maintenance of eating disorders.
The cognitive model of bulimia nervosa (BN) (Cooper et al., 2009) explains patterns of both over and under eating as a way to manage distressing cognitions and emotions (Cooper, 2013). This theory has been supported by empirical research, and has given rise to the development of evidence based treatment interventions(Cooper et al., 2009).
Preliminary evidence suggests that thoughts and beliefs outlined in the cognitive model of BN, are also present in a community sample of obese individuals. This study will seek to explore whether the model can therefore explain obesity in a clinical sample of obese individuals.
Cognitive theories suggest that early childhood experiences (attachment history) may give rise to the types of cognitions that make an individual vulnerable to developing an eating disorder.
Preliminary research findings show that attachment history predicts BMI in an obese population, and this study will also seek to determine whether there is a relationship between attachment history and BMI, and if so, whether this relationship is mediated by eating disorder related cognitions.
It is hoped that findings from this research will enhance our understanding of factors involved in the development and maintenance of obesity, from which a more comprehensive psychological model can be derived, and more effective treatment interventions developed.
Finally, as obesity is a problem that affects both men and women, the study will explore whether there are any significant differences in any of the findings for men and women.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
16/WS/0115
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion