Problematic eating behaviors in patients undergoing bariatric surgery: Studying their relationship with psychopathology

Update on eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in metabolic bariatric surgery patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recent literature suggests a potential causal link between metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) and an increased risk of eating disorders. However, the available literature offers unclear results regarding the definition of eating problems among MBS patients, their potential impact on weight outcomes, and the efficacy of adjunctive treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although eating disorders may be rare phenomena after surgery, disordered eating behaviors are more common and tend to be more consistently associated with suboptimal weight loss. There also appear to be clear problems when using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria to assess eating disorders among MBS patients, particularly for restrictive eating, binge-eating episodes, and the core psychopathology of eating disorders. Finally, preoperative interventions appear to offer effects limited to the presurgery period, and the evidence for the efficacy of postoperative interventions remains limited. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) offer promising benefits for weight loss and the treatment of binge-eating problems, but their potential risks must be carefully managed.

SUMMARY

Recognizing the diverse presentations of these problems among individuals undergoing MBS is crucial. Clinical attention should focus on intensive specialized care during the postoperative period for those who develop eating-related problems.

Factors associated with grazing behavior in candidates for bariatric surgery at a hospital in the Amazon

Blackground

To assess grazing behavior and associated factors in candidates for bariatric surgery monitored at a public hospital that is a reference in the care of people with severe obesity.

Methods

Cross-sectional analytical study, with candidates for bariatric surgery of both genders, treated in a public hospital in the Amazon. To assess grazing behavior, the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire was used, and to investigate patterns of eating behavior, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire was used, which assesses: Emotional Eating, Cognitive Restriction and Uncontrolled Eating. Sociodemographic information was obtained through self-report and the description of medication use through the medical record. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated by measuring weight and height. The SPSS program, v. 21.0 was used. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee.

Results

A total of 205 participants were evaluated, with a mean age of 37.5 ± 8.6 years, the majority (93.7%) being women and the majority (59.5%) was not also using medication to lose weight. About 66.3% of the participants had compulsive grazing. The factor with the highest score was cognitive restriction (p < 0.001). Individuals who used weight loss drugs had higher scores in the cognitive restriction factor (p = 0.015) and lower scores for uncontrolled eating (p = 0.008), compulsive grazing (p = 0.021) and non-compulsive grazing (p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Linear regression showed that emotional eating and uncontrolled eating were predictors of both compulsive grazing and non-compulsive grazing behavior. It was observed that grazing behavior, cognitive restriction, emotional eating and uncontrolled eating are present and correlated in the studied patients. In addition, the use of weight loss drugs seems to help reduce dysfunctional eating behaviors in patients with severe obesity.

Grazing's frequency and associations with obesity, psychopathology, and loss of control eating in clinical and community contexts: A systematic review

The term grazing is generally described as the repetitive and nonplanned consumption of small amounts of food, not in response to hunger/satiety sensations. The present study aims to identify and critically review studies examining the frequency of grazing in both clinical and community samples, as well as, to investigate its relationship with eating disorder psychopathology, Loss of Control eating (LOC), psychological impairment, and weight-related variables. This systematic review followed the PRISMA recommendations for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analysis. A total of 138 articles were initially retrieved from the database search. In the end, 18 articles were considered for this systematic review. The results were separated in Grazing and Grazing-like behavior (picking and nibbling). Results of studies of grazing-like behaviors displays that, in these studies, the results are sometimes inconsistent and controversial. On the other hand, studies of Grazing behavior showed more consistent results. These results show that the use of different definitions across the literature makes it difficult to establish comparisons across studies. In this literature review, the studies selected used five different definitions of grazing and five different instruments to assess this eating behavior which reinforces the requirement for standardized definition and evaluation. More, the studies hereby revised suggested that LOC eating was considered in association with grazing, being significantly associated with higher levels of psychopathology and psychological impairment. In accordance, a growing body of research argues that LOC eating was a stronger predictor of eating disorder psychopathology than the amounts of food consumed. Furthermore, the results found by studies show an advance to literature with an accordance about LOC, supported by evidences in studies of this review.

Understanding Uncontrolled Eating after Bariatric Surgery: The Role of Excessive Skin and Body Image Shame

Excess skin and disordered eating behaviors are referred to as some of the major negative consequences of bariatric surgery as well as body image shame. This study sought to explore how discomfort with excessive skin, body image shame, psychological distress, eating-related psychopathology, and negative urgency interact to understand uncontrolled eating among woman submitted to bariatric surgery. A cross-sectional sample of 137 women was evaluated postoperatively through self-report questionnaires assessing discomfort with excess skin, body image shame, eating-related psychopathology, negative urgency, and uncontrolled eating in a hospital center in the north of Portugal. Pearson correlations and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were performed. Body image shame mediated the relationship between discomfort with excess skin and eating-related psychopathology. In turn, the relationship between eating-related psychopathology and uncontrolled eating was mediated by negative urgency. This study highlights the impact of excess skin and body image shame on eating behavior post-bariatric-surgery. Considering the proven impact of uncontrolled eating on weight-loss results post-surgery, understanding the mechanisms underlying this problem is highly important. Our findings provide helpful insight for multidisciplinary teams committed to providing care to bariatric patients struggling with body image and eating difficulties.