Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the frequency of health and nutritional behaviors concerning emotional, habitual, and restrictive eating as well as to evaluate self efficacy in patientswith morbid obesity and determine the correlation between patients'BMI index and their health behaviors as well as self-efficacy.
Methods: The study included 37 patients diagnosed with class two and three obesity, aged 18-62 (M = 39.94; SD = 12.20). Patients' BMI ranged from 36 to 60 kg/m2 (M = 43.50; SD = 5.36). Research tools used in the study: the Inventory of Lifestyle Behaviors (ILB), the Dietary Behaviors Questionnaire (DBQ), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES).
Results: Patients with morbid obesity were characterized by medium (men; a sten score of 5) and low (women; a sten score of 4) intensity of health behaviors. Subjects showed a tendency for negative nutritional behaviors, emotional and habitual eating as well as dietary restrictions. General self-efficacy ranged between sten scores of 4 to 10, with mean at a high level (a sten score of 7).
Conclusions: Patients with morbid obesity need health, nutritional, and psychological education.
Keywords: morbid obesity; nutritional behaviors; self-efficacy.