The Relationship of Obesity to Borderline Personality Symptomatology, Self-Harm Behaviors, and Sexual Abuse in Female Subjects in a Primary-Care Medical Setting

Two groups of females in a primary-care medical setting were assessed: those 50 pounds or more overweight presenting for any medical service (n = 61) and normal-weight women presenting for PAP smears (n = 89). Subjects completed a weight history, sexual abuse questionnaire, self-harm behavior questionnaire, and the Borderline Personality Subscale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire—Revised (PDQ-R). Obese subjects were also administered the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB). The prevalence of borderline symptomatology in obese subjects was 7% on the DIB and 25% on the PDQ-R. For the entire sample (N = 194), subjects' highest weight ever and current weight were significantly positively correlated with a history of sexual abuse, endorsements of selected self-harm behaviors, and PDQ-R borderline scores.