Food Addiction Disorder 2 Years After Sleeve Gastrectomy; Association with Physical Activity, Body Composition, and Weight Loss Outcomes

The prevalence of hyperpalatable food intake among individuals with food addiction seeking bariatric surgery

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of food addiction among patients seeking bariatric surgery is approximately 30 %. While hyper-palatable foods (HPF) have been identified as the potential 'substance' in food addiction and a contributor to severe obesity, consumption of HPF among individuals with food addiction, including those seeking bariatric surgery, is unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption of HPF among individuals seeking bariatric surgery with food addiction, compared to those without food addiction.

METHODS

Participants were N = 54 individuals with severe obesity seeking bariatric surgery. The Yale Food Addiction Scale was used to identify individuals with food addiction (FA) (37 % of sample). Dietary recalls were used to quantify HPF intake. Analyses were conducted to characterize average HPF intake and to determine whether there were significant differences between HPF intake among those with FA compared to those without FA, and whether HFP intake was correlated with FA symptoms.

RESULTS

On average, 71 % of participants' daily calorie intake was from HPF. There were no significant differences in HPF items intake among individuals with and without FA (70.46 % vs 71.34; p = 0.85). A positive correlation between number of FA symptoms and the intake of HPF high in fat and sugar ([0.3]; p = 0.03) was observed.

CONCLUSION

In this pilot study, HPF consumption among individuals with and without FA seeking bariatric surgery was high overall, however there were no differences across groups. In addition, intake of HPF with fat and sugar was associated with the number of symptoms of food addiction. More studies with a larger sample are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Food Addiction and Binge Eating Impact on Weight Loss Outcomes Two Years Following Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggest that problematic eating behaviors such as food addiction (FA) and binge eating (BE) may alter following bariatric surgery (BS) and impact weight outcomes. We aimed to examine the prevalence of FA and BE and their associations with weight outcomes 2 years post-sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

METHODS

Forty-five women (mean age 32.4 ± 10.9 years) who underwent SG and completed 24 months of follow-up were evaluated prospectively at pre-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month post-SG. Data collected included anthropometrics, nutritional intake, and lifestyle patterns. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) and the Binge Eating Scale (BES) were used to characterize FA and BE, respectively.

RESULTS

Pre-surgery FA and BE were identified in 40.0% and 46.7% of participants, respectively. Following SG, FA and BE prevalence was 10.0%, 5.0%, 29.4%, and 14.2% (P = 0.007), and 12.5%, 4.9%, 18.4%, and 19.4% (P < 0.001) at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Women with BE at baseline gained significantly more weight from the nadir compared to non-BE women at baseline (P = 0.009). There was no relationship between FA at baseline and weight (P = 0.090). Weight regained from the nadir positively correlated with BES scores at baseline (r = 0.374, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

FA and BE tend to decrease during the early postoperative period, but remains in a notable rates return by 2 years post-SG. Moreover, pre-surgical BE was related to higher weight-regain. Proper management pre-BS should include a comprehensive eating pathologies assessment, as these pathologies may remain or re-emerge post-surgery and lead to worse weight outcomes.