Objective: Depression among weight loss surgery (WLS) candidates is common. Anxiety in this population is less studied. Untreated anxiety persists post-surgery and is associated with poor surgical outcomes. The current study sought to explore the nature of anxiety in WLS candidates. Given shared symptoms of anxiety and obesity, we hypothesized that physiological symptoms of anxiety would be most common. Methods: In this retrospective study, the medical records of 174 pre-WLS candidates at a large medical center were reviewed. Each completed a comprehensive medical, surgical, and psychological evaluation as part of standard of care. Data from these evaluations were abstracted. One hundred forty-three candidates completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). A Principal Components Analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was used to identify the factor structure of the BAI. Results: The sample consisted of primarily middle-aged (46.0 ± 13.24 years), married (60.8%), Caucasian (65.7%), females (79%) with Class III obesity (Body Mass Index = 50.1 ± 10.68) and mild anxiety (8.86 ± 8.70). Forty-four percent of the sample endorsed clinically significant anxiety. PCA revealed a four-factor structure that explained 56.28% of the variance in the BAI. The four factors were: 1) cognitive-emotional distress, 2) autonomic hyperarousal, 3) neurophysiologic concerns, and 4) body temperature. Conclusions: Clinically significant anxiety is common among WLS candidates. Cognitive-emotional clustering of anxiety symptoms was more common than hypothesized. This is notable given the overlap of physiological symptoms of anxiety and obesity. Findings lend support for the utility of psychotherapeutic approaches tailored to address maladaptive thoughts to address anxiety and potentially improve WLS outcomes.

While the construct of food addiction has been controversial, there is growing evidence that certain foods can activate biobehavioral and neurological mechanisms consistent with addiction to other substances. Despite increased evidence and acceptance of certain foods as addictive substances amongst the scientific community, there is a paucity of interventions available that are uniquely suited for the treatment of this condition. Further, many of the addiction and disordered eating treatment models currently utilized for food addiction are seemingly at odds, with the former often recommending complete abstinence from trigger foods and the latter promoting intake of all foods in moderation. The Food Addiction Clinical Treatment (FACT) manual was created as an alternative using an empirically supported harm-reduction model specifically targeted to treat the addiction and disordered eating features of food addiction. The purpose of the current article is to expose readers to the key tenets of the FACT manual, demonstrate the feasibility of this intervention with a sample of participants with severe food addiction, and discuss future directions for the treatment of food addiction. Positive outcomes from this intervention provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of FACT for the treatment of food addiction with minimal negative adverse effects. Future research using randomized control trials and longer follow-up is needed to validate the FACT manual as an empirically supported treatment for food addiction.