Background: The Moorehead-Ardelt Quality of Life Questionnaire was originally developed as a disease-specific instrument to measure postoperative outcomes of self-perceived quality of life (QoL) in obese patients. 5 key areas were examined: self-esteem, physical well-being, social relationships, work, and sexuality. Each of these questions offered 5 possible answers, which were given + or - points according to a scoring key. The questionnaire was used independently or incorporated into the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting System (BAROS). The instrument is simple, unbiased, user-friendly and can be completed in P P <0.01) to the Beck Depression Inventory-II (r=0.317), as well as to the 'Disinhibition' (r=-0.307) and 'Hunger' (r=-0.254) factors of the Stunkard and Messick Eating Inventory. Conclusions: The M-A QoLQII correlates well with other widely used health and well-being indicators such as the SF-36, Beck Depression Inventory II and the Stunkard and Messick Eating Inventory. The study established the validity and reliability of this improved disease-specific instrument for QoL measurement in the obese population.