Attitude Matters! How Attitude towards Bariatric Surgery Influences the Effects of Behavioural Weight Loss Treatment

Defining a vitamin A5/X specific deficiency - vitamin A5/X as a critical dietary factor for mental health

A healthy and balanced diet is an important factor to assure a good functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system. Retinoid X receptor (RXR)-mediated signaling was identified as an important mechanism of transmitting major diet-dependent physiological and nutritional signaling such as the control of myelination and dopamine signalling. Recently, vitamin A5/X, mainly present in vegetables as provitamin A5/X, was identified as a new concept of a vitamin which functions as the nutritional precursor for enabling RXR-mediated signaling. The active form of vitamin A5/X, 9-cis-13,14-dehydroretinoic acid (9CDHRA), induces RXR-activation, thereby acting as the central switch for enabling various heterodimer-RXR-signaling cascades involving various partner heterodimers like the fatty acid and eicosanoid receptors/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), the cholesterol receptors/liver X receptors (LXRs), the vitamin D receptor (VDR), and the vitamin A(1) receptors/retinoic acid receptors (RARs). Thus, nutritional supply of vitamin A5/X might be a general nutritional-dependent switch for enabling this large cascade of hormonal signaling pathways and thus appears important to guarantee an overall organism homeostasis. RXR-mediated signaling was shown to be dependent on vitamin A5/X with direct effects for beneficial physiological and neuro-protective functions mediated systemically or directly in the brain. In summary, through control of dopamine signaling, amyloid β-clearance, neuro-protection and neuro-inflammation, the vitamin A5/X - RXR - RAR - vitamin A(1)-signaling might be "one of" or even "the" critical factor(s) necessary for good mental health, healthy brain aging, as well as for preventing drug addiction and prevention of a large array of nervous system diseases. Likewise, vitamin A5/X - RXR - non-RAR-dependent signaling relevant for myelination/re-myelination and phagocytosis/brain cleanup will contribute to such regulations too. In this review we discuss the basic scientific background, logical connections and nutritional/pharmacological expert recommendations for the nervous system especially considering the ageing brain.

Conventional weight loss therapy in morbid obesity during COVID-19 pandemic: degree of burdens at baseline and treatment efficacy

Introduction

COVID-19 affected global physical and psychological health. The purpose of this study was to explore the pandemics impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mental health (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) and eating behavior in people with severe obesity participating in a multimodal conservative behavioral weight loss (BWL) program conducted via videoconferencing. Additionally, the efficacy of the six-month BWL program in a virtual video-based setting during the pandemic was examined.

Methods

297 participants of a face-to-face multimodal behavioral weight loss program prior to the pandemic (PrePAN, May 2014-September 2019) and 146 participants of the in terms of content same intervention in a videoconference-based setting during the pandemic (PAN, July 2020-April 2022) were questioned and compared using standardized questionnaires for HRQoL, symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorders, perceived stress, and eating behavior at baseline and at the end of treatment.

Results

Symptoms for anxiety, depression and perceived stress were similar between PrePAN and PAN at baseline. In addition, PAN tended to show lower disinhibition of eating behavior and feelings of hunger than PrePAN. During the pandemic, the BWL intervention resulted in body weight loss (67%) or stabilization (16%) in most of the participants. It also contributed by improving physical HRQoL, lower worries, and improved eating behaviors compared to baseline.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, baseline mental health of people with morbid obesity was not worse than before the pandemic. Additionally, the BWL intervention in the virtual video-based setting stabilized and improved physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health Variables Impact Weight Loss, Especially in Patients with Obesity and Binge Eating: A Mediation Model on the Role of Eating Disorder Pathology

BACKGROUND

Various mental health and eating behavior variables have been independently associated with predicting weight loss in individuals with obesity. This study aims to investigate a mediation model that assesses the distinct contributions of these variables in predicting weight changes in patients with obesity following an outpatient behavioral weight loss intervention (BWLI).

METHODS

General mental health (depression, anxiety, stress, impulsivity), eating behavior (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, hunger), eating disorder pathology, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed in a group of 297 patients with obesity at the admission of a BWLI program. BMI was re-evaluated during the final treatment session. A mediation model was employed to examine whether mental health and eating behavior variables predicted BMI changes, with eating disorder pathology serving as a mediator. The model was tested both overall and within two patient subgroups: those with regular binge eating (≥four episodes/month) and those without.

RESULTS

In the overall sample (n = 238), the relationships between depression, impulsivity, and cognitive restraint with BMI change were mediated by eating disorder pathology. In the subgroup with regular binge eating (n = 99, 41.6%), the associations between stress and disinhibition with BMI change were additionally mediated by eating disorder pathology. In the subgroup without regular binge eating, eating disorder pathology showed no mediating effect.

DISCUSSION

Multiple mental health and eating behavior variables assessed at admission predicted BMI changes, particularly when mediated by eating disorder pathology in patients with regular binge eating. A comprehensive psychopathological assessment prior to starting BWLI may help identify multiple factors affecting prognosis and treatment outcomes. Long-term follow-up studies in this field are required.

Patient-Related Predictors for Seeking and Receiving Obesity Surgery

INTRODUCTION

The decision for obesity surgery (OS) is complex and strongly driven by patients' preference. This study aimed to examine patients' preference for OS before and after behavioral weight loss treatment (BWLT), associated patient characteristics, its role in predicting the receipt of OS after BWLT, and potential mediators.

METHODS

Data of N = 431 adults with obesity starting a 1-year routine care obesity BWLT were analyzed. Patients were interviewed before (pre-BWLT) and after BWLT (post-BWLT) regarding their preference for OS, and anthropometric, medical, and psychological data were collected.

RESULTS

Only a minority of patients (11.6%) had an explicit preference for OS pre-BWLT. Post-BWLT, the number of patients preferring OS significantly increased (27.4%). Patients with a constant or emerging preference for OS showed less favorable anthropometric, psychological, and medical characteristics than patients without or with a vanishing preference for OS. Patients' pre-BWLT preference for OS significantly predicted receiving OS post-BWLT. This association was mediated by higher body mass index pre- and post-BWLT, but not by less percentage total body weight loss (%TBWL) through BWLT.

CONCLUSION

Although the preference for OS pre-BWLT predicted the receipt of OS post-BWLT, it was not associated with %TBWL during BWLT. Further prospective studies with multiple assessment time points during BWLT may help understand when and why patients' attitude toward OS changes, and identify possible mediators on the association between the preference and receipt of OS.

Effects of Lifestyle and Educational Bridging Programs before Bariatric Surgery on Postoperative Weight Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To fulfill the requirements for bariatric surgery, patients often need to participate in mandatory preoperative lifestyle interventions. Currently, the efficacy of multi-month preoperative lifestyle intervention programs on body mass index (BMI) reduction from the start of the program (T0) through the immediate preoperative time point (T1) to 1 year post-surgery (T2) and how the amount of preoperative BMI reduction affects postoperative outcome (T1 to T2) is unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyze the effects of preoperative lifestyle interventions on BMI 1 year post-surgery.

METHOD

A systematic literature search was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. Randomized controlled trials that implemented preoperative lifestyle interventions lasting 1-8 months before bariatric surgery were included. The BMI of the intervention group was compared with that of a control group before participation in the preoperative lifestyle interventions (T0), after completion of the program before surgery (T1), and 1 year post-surgery (T2). Finally, the impact of successful BMI reduction at T1 on BMI at T2 was analyzed.

RESULTS

N = 345 patients derived from 4 studies undergoing preoperative lifestyle interventions reduced their BMI at T1 by 1.5 units compared to the control group (95% CI: -2.73, -0.28). One year post-surgery, both groups had lost comparable BMI points. The influence of reduced BMI at T1 on weight status at T2 is unclear due to the lack of available studies. Other endpoints and subgroup analyses were rarely examined.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative lifestyle interventions reduce BMI before bariatric surgery more effectively than usual care. These differences are not detectable 1 year post-surgery. Although a short-term energy reduction period before surgery is clearly important to minimize surgery risks, it is currently unclear whether, and if so, under what circumstances, participation in a preoperative lifestyle intervention is beneficial.

Gender and Emotional Representation Matter: Own Illness Beliefs and Their Relationship to Obesity

Background

Current treatments of obesity often fail to consider gender and psychological aspects, which are essential for weight loss and weight maintenance. The aim of our study was to analyze subjective illness representations (SIRs) of adults with obesity according to the Common-Sense Self-Regulation Model (CSM) by assessing their associations with weight-related variables and gender.

Methods

Data was collected via online self-assessment between April 2017 and March 2018. SIRs were operationalized by the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and illness outcomes according to the CSM were defined as BMI, eating behaviour, physical wellbeing, bodyweight satisfaction, and shape concerns. The sample consisted of 427 adults (M = 42.2 years, SD = 10.9; 82% female) with obesity (BMI: M = 42.3 kg/m², SD = 9.0). Student's t-tests and multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with the control variables (age and BMI) and subjective illness representations and gender as independent variables.

Results

The explanation of outcome variances was moderate to high (21-43%) except for restraint eating behaviour (10%). Subjective illness representations showed several significant associations with weight-related variables, especially timeline and emotional representations. Female gender was significantly associated with more restraint eating behaviour [F_{(1, 400)} = 4.19, p < 0.001] and females had unfavourable values of the weight-related variables as well as a more cyclic [t₍₄₂₅₎ = 3.68, p < 0.001], and more emotional representation [t₍₁₀₀₎ = 5.17, p < 0.001] of their obesity.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that gender and subjective illness representations, especially the emotional representation, play an important role for weight-related variables. Therefore, the assessment of SIRs may constitute an economic tool to identify specific individual deficits of self-regulation.