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WILLIAM G. SHIPMAN, PhD; MARVIN R. PLESSET, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1963;8(6):530-535.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Approximately 15,000,000 people in the United States are at least moderately obese, that is, 20% or more above their ideal weight.¹ In order to lose weight, many of these engage in dieting under the care of a physician. Obesity is commonly considered to be an evidence of serious unconscious emotional conflict, and many investigators have stated that dieting can and does upset the precarious psychological equilibrium with catastrophic results. In one investigation, Stunkard² reported, "For a large number of overweight persons, the mechanical prescription of reducing diets has had unfortunate consequences. For a smaller number it has been disastrous." He found that 51% of the obese women in a nutrition clinic reported untoward responses to previous attempts at weight reduction, and a more detailed investigation of 25 women revealed that 9 had suffered emotional disturbances of psychotic intensity during present and past attempts at weight reduction. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
PITTSBURGH

Staunton Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, now Senior Research Psychologist, Institute for Psychosomatic and Psychiatric Research and Training, Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago (Dr. Shipman); Staunton Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh (Dr. Plesset).

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Nov 16, 1962.

This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, Rochester, NY, April, 1962.

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