Obesity predicts smaller improvements in gambling symptoms over time in those meeting criteria for gambling disorder, a recent study found. Researchers recruited 160 problem gamblers, aged 18 to 29 years, who completed assessments of gambling behavior and related variables at baseline and 1-year visits. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and symptom change, while accounting for nicotine use, gender, age, and baseline gambling severity. The sample included 102 normal weight, 35 overweight, and 23 obese gamblers. They found:

• There was a significant obesity x baseline gambling risk level interaction for the model predicting changes in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (GD-YBOCS ) scores over the 1-year follow-up.
• Obese participants with gambling disorder showed significantly smaller improvements in symptoms over 1 year than normal weight participants.