No addiction transfer from preoperative food addiction to other addictive behaviors during the first year after bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the remission of preoperative food addiction is associated with increases or new onset of other addictions within the first year following bariatric surgery. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five bariatric surgery patients were assessed before surgery (t1) and at 6 months (t2) and 1 year (t3) follow-ups. The assessments included the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and standardized questionnaires to measure symptoms of problematic alcohol use, gambling disorder, internet-use disorder, buying-shopping disorder, hypersexual disorder and exercise dependence. RESULTS: Forty-nine (39.2%) patients were assigned to the food addiction (FA+ ) and 76 patients (60.8%) to the non-food addiction group (FA- ) based on their preoperative YFAS scores. Overall, BMI and symptoms of food addiction decreased significantly from baseline to follow-ups. Preoperative food addiction status was not associated with postoperative increases or new onset of other addictions. Elevated symptoms of buying-shopping disorder, internet-use and hypersexual behaviour at baseline in the FA+ -group decreased over time and were comparable to the FA- -group at follow-ups. CONCLUSION: The 'addiction transfer' or 'cross addiction' hypothesis was not supportive for alcohol addiction, gambling addiction or other behaviours that may be addictive. Further studies are needed that investigate larger samples and longer observation periods, as well as other substance-use disorders.

Food addiction and other addictive behaviours in bariatric surgery candidates.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the association between food addiction (FA) and other addictive behaviours in 216 bariatric surgery candidates (91.7% class 3 obesity; 80.1% women; age Mdn = 44.00 years, range 18-73). METHOD: Assessment included the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and standardized self-report questionnaires to measure symptoms of disorders related to substance use (alcohol and nicotine) and behavioural addictions (gambling, Internet-use, buying, hypersexual disorders, and exercise dependence). RESULTS: Bivariate correlations indicated a moderate relationship of YFAS 2.0 FA symptoms with buying disorder symptoms and a weak association with Internet-use disorder symptoms. Fifty-nine patients (27.3%) met the YFAS 2.0 threshold for FA, 1.9% for alcohol use disorder, 6.0% for nicotine use disorder, 17.3% for buying disorder, 2.3% for Internet-use disorder, and 1.4% for hypersexual disorder. None of the patients scored above the respective questionnaire thresholds for gambling disorder or exercise dependence. Patients with versus without YFAS 2.0 FA diagnosis did not differ with regard to prevalence estimates of addictive behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical implications and potential limitations of the findings are discussed. Future studies should address the potential risk of postoperative addiction transfer using long-term follow-ups and controlled study designs.

Physical Activity in Bariatric Surgery Patients: Does Temperament Matter?

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate if physical activity (PA) in bariatric surgery patients is related to temperament. METHODS: Preoperative (n = 70) and post-operative (n = 73) patients were categorized as being physically 'active' versus 'inactive' on the basis of objective PA monitoring. Assessment included the behavioural inhibition system (BIS)/behavioural activation system (BAS) scales, the effortful control (EC) subscale of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire-Short Form, a numeric pain rating scale and measures for depressive and eating disorder symptoms. RESULTS: 'Active' did not differ from 'inactive' patients with regard to temperament (BIS, BAS, and EC). Regressions with PA grouping as dependent variable (adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), depressive or eating disorder symptoms, or pain intensity) indicated an association between lower BMI and more PA in the preoperative and the post-operative group. In the post-operative group, in addition to lower BMI, also lower age and higher BIS reactivity contributed to more PA. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between BMI and BIS suggesting that low BMI was only associated with more PA in post-operative patients with high BIS. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that temperament per se does not contribute to the level of PA in bariatric surgery patients. However, in post-operative patients, lower BMI was associated with a higher likelihood of being physically active particularly in patients with anxious temperament. These preliminary findings need further investigation within longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Food-independent tendency to disadvantageous decisions in obese individuals with regular binge eating.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore whether or not obese patients with and without regular binge eating differ with regard to their decision-making abilities. METHODS: Decision-making was measured by using a computerized version of the Iowa Gambling task (IGT) in 34 obese patients with regular binge eating (BE(+)) and 34 obese individuals without binge eating (BE(-)) matched for age and sex. In addition, computerized versions of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Corsi Block Tapping Test were administered. Participants further answered questionnaires concerning eating disorder symptoms (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale). RESULTS: The BE(+) group reported more eating disorder and depressive symptoms than the BE(-) group but did not differ with regard to BMI, working memory deficits, depressive symptoms, somatic comorbidity (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, pain disorder), or education. Binge eating participants showed poorer decision-making abilities based on the total IGT net scores. However, they did not differ from those without regular binge eating in improving their choice behavior over the task. CONCLUSIONS: The group difference in total IGT net scores suggests more general, food-independent decision making problems in obese individuals with regular binge eating compared to those without. Treatment of obese patients with BED could be enhanced by training them to better control risky decisions, to delay gratification in an effortful way and to activate appropriate alternative behaviors.

Postoperative Dumping Syndrome, Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, Depression, and Eating Disturbances: Results of a Longitudinal Obesity Surgery Study.

INTRODUCTION: Given the lack of research on the relationship of post-surgery dumping syndrome and eating disturbances, the purpose of the present longitudinal study was to investigate whether dumping after obesity surgery is associated with pre-/postoperative eating disorder symptoms or addiction-like eating beyond the type of surgery, gender, health-realted quality of life (HRQoL) and anxiety/depressive symptoms. METHODS: The study included 220 patients (76% women) before (t0) and 6 months after (t1) obesity surgery (sleeve gastrectomy [n = 152], Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [n = 53], omega loop gastric bypass [n = 15]). The Sigstad Dumping Score was used to assess post-surgery dumping syndrome. Participants further answered the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0), Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at t0 and t1. RESULTS: The point prevalence of symptoms suggestive of post-surgery dumping syndrome was 33%. Regression analyses indicate an association of dumping with surgical procedure (bypass), female gender, reduced HRQoL, more anxiety/depressive symptoms, and potentially with binge eating but not with eating disorder symptoms in general or with addiction-like eating. CONCLUSION: The current study failed to show a close relationship between the presence of self-reported dumping syndrome and eating disorder symptoms or addiction-like eating following obesity surgery. Further studies with longer follow-up periods should make use of clinical interviews to assess psychosocial variables and of objective measures to diagnose dumping in addition to standardized self-ratings.

Improvement of Work Ability After Weight Loss Surgery: Results of a Longitudinal Study of Patients Suffering from Extreme Obesity Before and 4 Years After Bariatric Surgery.

PURPOSE: Body mass index (BMI) is directly associated with employment status. Our longitudinal prospective study is aimed at ascertaining whether work ability index (WAI) 4 years after surgery remains improved, such as 1 year after surgery, or changes and whether socio-demographic or psycho-social factors influence changes in work ability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 197 bariatric surgery candidates were recruited. Data on demographic and psycho-social characteristics were collected prior to surgery (t1) and at 6 (t2), 12 (t3), and 48 months (t4). Change effects over time in the WAI and BMI were investigated using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was calculated to predict socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics at t1 on WAI at t4. RESULTS: Not only a significant increase in WAI was observed between t1 and t2 and between t3 and t4 but also a significant decrease between t2 and t4. BMI reduction was significant between t1 and t2 and t3 and t4, respectively. There was no significant interaction effect of BMI reduction 4 years after surgery on decreased work ability from t2 to t4. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed an association of WAI scores at t1 on WAI scores at t4 only. CONCLUSIONS: Work ability 4 years after surgery remained significantly improved compared to the values at t1-t3 assessment. Since work ability was the only predictor at t1, findings might indicate the use of psycho-social measures post bariatric surgery to increase work ability. There was no association between work ability and other socio-demographic or psycho-social factors.

Changes in Work Ability after Weight-Loss Surgery: Results of a Longitudinal Study of Persons with Morbid Obesity before and after Bariatric Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Bariatric surgery is a life-changing treatment, but knowledge of its influence on changes in work ability is still limited. We hypothesized that self-reported work ability improves in response to surgery-induced weight loss and sociodemographical variables (e.g., age, sex, and marital status), and that psychosocial characteristics (e.g., depressive symptoms and dysfunctional eating) may have predictive value as to patients' work ability. METHODS: A total of 200 participants scheduled for bariatric surgery were recruited between September 2015 and June 2018. They completed several self-report measures at the preoperative examination (t1) and at 6- (t2) and 12 months (t3) after bariatric surgery. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was calculated to detect any changes in the work ability and body mass index (BMI) among the 3 time points. Further, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether any demographical and psychosocial characteristics at (t1) would predict work ability at (t3). RESULTS: Participants (82% of whom were women) were middle-aged and showed a BMI of nearly 46 at the preoperative medical examination. Excess weight loss at (t2) and at (t3) was 49 and 66%, respectively. Work ability increased toward a moderate level after weight-loss surgery. Work ability and dysfunctional eating at (t1) showed significant predictive value with respect to work ability at (t3). DISCUSSION: The results suggest that weight-loss surgery has a positive impact on work ability, and indicate a predictive value for the extent of weight loss and dysfunctional eating behavior. Against our hypothesis and in contrast to former research, a predictive value for depressive symptoms and age was not revealed. Further research must show how interventions can support and maintain improvements in work ability after bariatric surgery, in order to reduce sick leave and unemployment in patients with preoperative morbid obesity.

Changes in Patients' Relationship Satisfaction After Weight Loss Surgery: Results of a Study of Persons with Morbid Obesity and Their Relationship Satisfaction Before and 1 Year After Bariatric Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Bariatric surgery is a life-changing treatment, but knowledge of its influence on changes in relationship satisfaction (RS) is still limited. The present study examines whether a patient's RS changes after having bariatric surgery, in response to the surgery-induced weight loss. The predictive value of further variables such as age and sex are also investigated. METHODS: A total of 145 participants scheduled for bariatric surgery were recruited between September 2015 and June 2018. RS was assessed with a reliable and valid short form of a standardized self-report measure, which was completed before, 6 months and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: Loss of excess weight at 6 and 12 months post-surgery was 49% and 66.3%, respectively. The repeated measures ANOVA for the factor "PFB-K" revealed a statistically significant effect, with F (2, 288) = 7.40, p = .001, and η2 = .05, and for the factor "BMI" with F (2, 288) = 505.99, p < .001, and η2 = .78. The highest mean RS score was observed 6 months post-surgery. Sex showed a statistical trend of influence on RS: F (1, 143) = 3.24, p = .074, and η2 = .022. At all three measurement points, men showed higher mean RS scores than women. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss and indicates an increase in RS. While a correlation with the amount of weight lost remains unclear, a trend was seen towards higher RS in subjects with higher weight loss. Men in particular reported higher RS.

Psychosocial Predictors of Work Ability in Morbidly Obese Patients: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study in the Context of Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with a higher risk of work disability and premature early retirement. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial predictors for work ability prior to surgery. METHODS: Based on a sample of 197 surgery-seeking obese patients (preoperative body mass index [BMI] above 35 kg/m2) from a German bariatric surgery unit, the present cross-sectional study examined based on standardized self-rating measures whether depressive symptoms, dysfunctional eating behaviors, relationship satisfaction, and life satisfaction have a predictive value for work ability. RESULTS: Considerable impairment of work ability was found in 51.8% of morbidly obese participants (n = 102). Multiple regression analyses revealed that older age, greater depressive symptoms, and lower life satisfaction were significant predictors of preoperative work ability. BMI, gender, relationship satisfaction, and dysfunctional eating behaviors did not predict work ability. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings might indicate the use of further psychosocial measures following bariatric surgery to increase work ability.

Primary Sleeve Gastrectomy and Leaks: The Impact of Fundus-Wall Thickness and Staple Heights on Leakage-An Observational Study of 500 Patients.

Introduction: The most feared complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is staple-line leakage. Staple height and fundus-wall thickness might influence such leakage, and this study examined their possible impact on leak incidence. Factors including gender, age, comorbidities, and reinforcement of the staple line were also investigated. Methods: A total of 500 patients between 17 and 71 years of age who were scheduled for LSG were selected to participate in the study. For technical reasons, 53 were excluded. The fundus-wall thickness of 447 patients after LSG was investigated. The impact of staple height, fundus-wall thickness, demographic and medical factors on leak incidence were investigated. Most of our patients (309) were female (69%), while 138 were male (31%). Results: The mean thickness of the proximal fundus wall was 2,904 µm, 3,172 µm in men and 2,784 µm in women. The leak rate was 4.9%. Age, fundus-wall thickness, and BMI showed a strong influence on leak risk, but this effect was significant only for age (p = 0.01). Patient gender and staple size showed no significant influence on the correlation between fundus-wall thickness and leak risk. Gender displayed a small effect of influence on this correlation, with η2 = 0.05. Discussion: Because older age had a significant effect on increasing the risk of staple-line leakage, there is a need for a more specific focus on these patients. Thinner fundus wall and female gender might predispose patients to staple-line leaks, but a significant value could not be reached. Therefore, staple size should remain the surgeon's choice based on clinical experience.

Specific Health Knowledge and Health Literacy of Patients before and after Bariatric Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: It is an important condition for adequate weight loss and prevention of adverse events that bariatric surgery (BS) candidates possess good specific health knowledge. There is a paucity of standardized instruments to evaluate the specific health knowledge of patients before and after BS. Therefore, we developed a 32-item multiple-choice test covering the main aspects of life which are important after BS, and investigated the correlation of specific health knowledge with health literacy, level of depression and anxiety, percentage of excess weight loss, and specific complications of BS in postoperative patients. METHODS: Two groups participated in the cross-sectional study: the preoperative group (n = 109) was recruited from candidates for BS (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy), the postoperative group (n = 110) was recruited from patients 12-74 months after BS (average 33 months, SD = 16.5). Both groups had completed a preoperative multimodal training program. Specific health knowledge was assessed with a newly developed knowledge questionnaire. Health literacy was evaluated with the short version of the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q16). The 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) were used to assess the levels of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: The pre- and postoperative group did not differ with regard to the number of correctly answered questions on the knowledge questionnaire, with 75% correct answers in both groups (p = 0.059). No correlations were found with health literacy (p = 0.498) and levels of depression (preoperative group: p = 0.279; postoperative group: p = 0.242) and anxiety (preoperative group: p = 0.866; postoperative group: p = 0.119). In postoperative patients specific health knowledge was not associated with the weight loss achieved (p = 0.437). CONCLUSION: The newly designed knowledge questionnaire can be useful for screening specific knowledge of BS patients at different time points.

Short-Term Outcomes of Surgery for Graves' Disease in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of Graves' disease (GD) has a potentially increased incidence of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) and bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current extent of surgery for the treatment of GD and its safety as a short-term outcome. METHODS: Patients who underwent thyroid resection for GD were identified from the prospective StuDoQ/Thyroid registry. Patient data were retrospectively analyzed regarding demographics, surgical procedures and perioperative outcomes. Statistics were performed with Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 1808 patients with GD with a median age of 44 (range 14-85) years were enrolled in a 25-month period by 78 departments, of which 35.7% (n = 645) had an endocrine orbitopathy and 0.1% (n = 6) had thyrotoxic crisis. Conventional open surgery was used in 98.6% of cases and minimally invasive or remote-access approaches were used in 1.4%. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 93.4% of cases (n = 1688). Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) was used in 98.9% (n = 1789) of procedures. In 98.3% (n = 1777) at least one parathyroid gland was visualized and in 20.7% (n = 375) parathyroids were autografted. The rates of unilateral and bilateral transient RLNP were 3.9% (n = 134/3429 nerves at risk) and 0.1% (n = 4/3429 NAR). The rates of transient RLNP tended to be higher when intermittent IONM was used compared to continuous IONM (4.1% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.059). The rate of transient postoperative hypoparathyroidism was overall 29% (n = 525/1808). Multivariate analysis revealed fewer than 300 thyroid resections and fewer than 15 thyroid resections for GD per year, male sex, BMI > 30, autotransplantation of parathyroid glands and previous bilateral thyroid surgery as independent risk factors for postoperative temporary hypoparathyroidism. Reoperations for bleeding (1.3%) were rare. CONCLUSION: Total thyroidectomy with IONM is safe and currently the most common surgical therapy for GD in Germany. Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is the major complication which should be focused on.

Development and Evaluation of the Quality of Life for Obesity Surgery (QOLOS) Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Even though health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is considered an important component of bariatric surgery outcome, there is a lack of HRQOL measures relevant for preoperative and postoperative patients. The objective of the current study was to develop a new instrument assessing HRQOL prior to and following bariatric surgery, entitled Quality of Life for Obesity Surgery (QOLOS) Questionnaire. METHODS: Topics for the QOLOS were initially generated via open-ended interviews and focus groups with 19 postoperative bariatric surgery patients. Qualitative analysis resulted in 250 items, which were rated by patients (n = 101) and experts (n = 69) in terms of their importance. A total of 120 items were retained for further evaluation and administered to 220 preoperative patients and 219 postoperative patients. They also completed a battery of other assessments to analyze issues of construct validity. RESULTS: Analyses resulted in a 36-item section 1 QOLOS form targeting both preoperative and postoperative aspects across seven domains (eating disturbances, physical functioning, body satisfaction, family support, social discrimination, positive activities, partnership) and a 20-item section 2 QOLOS form focusing on postoperative concerns only (domains: excess skin, eating adjustment, dumping, satisfaction with surgery). Subscales of both sections showed acceptable to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.72 to 0.95) and good convergent and discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The QOLOS represents a reliable and valid instrument to assess HRQOL in preoperative and postoperative patients. Future studies should test the questionnaire in larger samples consisting of patients undergoing different types of surgery.

Comparing Self-Report Measures of Internalized Weight Stigma: The Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire versus the Weight Bias Internalization Scale.

BACKGROUND: Internalized weight stigma has gained growing interest due to its association with multiple health impairments in individuals with obesity. Especially high internalized weight stigma is reported by individuals undergoing bariatric surgery. For assessing this concept, two different self-report questionnaires are available, but have never been compared: the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and the Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS). The purpose of the present study was to provide and to compare reliability, convergent validity with and predictive values for psychosocial health outcomes for the WSSQ and WBIS. METHODS: The WSSQ and the WBIS were used to assess internalized weight stigma in N = 78 prebariatric surgery patients. Further, body mass index (BMI) was assessed and body image, quality of life, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety were measured by well-established self-report questionnaires. Reliability, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the WSSQ was acceptable, while good internal consistency was found for the WBIS. Both measures were significantly correlated with each other and body image. While only the WSSQ was correlated with overweight preoccupation, only the WBIS was correlated with appearance evaluation. Both measures were not associated with BMI. However, correlation coefficients did not differ between the WSSQ and the WBIS for all associations with validity measures. Further, both measures significantly predicted quality of life, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, while the WBIS explained significantly more variance than the WSSQ total score for self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate the WSSQ and the WBIS to be reliable and valid assessments of internalized weight stigma in prebariatric surgery patients, although the WBIS showed marginally more favorable results than the WSSQ. For both measures, longitudinal studies on stability and predictive validity are warranted, for example, for weight-related and psychosocial outcomes.

Physical Activity, Decision-Making Abilities, and Eating Disturbances in Pre- and Postbariatric Surgery Patients.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is considered to have a beneficial influence on executive functioning, including decision-making. Enhanced decision-making after bariatric surgery may strengthen patients' ability to delay gratification, helping to establish appropriate eating behavior. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare a preoperative group with a postoperative group with regard to daily PA, decision-making, and eating disturbances; and (2) investigate the relationship between these variables. METHODS: The study included 71 bariatric surgery candidates (78 % women, BMI [kg/m2] M = 46.9, SD = 6.0) and 73 postoperative patients (78 % women, BMI M = 32.0, SD = 4.1; 89 % Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, 11 % sleeve gastrectomy; months postoperative M = 8.2, SD = 3.5; total weight loss [%] M = 33.2, SD = 8.9) who completed SenseWear Pro2 activity monitoring. Decision-making was assessed using a computerized version of the Iowa Gambling Task and eating disorder psychopathology using the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. RESULTS: The number of patients who were classified as physically inactive was similarly high in the pre- and postoperative groups. No group differences emerged with regard to decision-making, but the postoperative group exhibited less eating disturbances than the preoperative group. No significant associations were found between PA, decision-making, and eating behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Patients after bariatric surgery were not more physically active than bariatric surgery candidates, which should be considered in care programs. Additionally, future research is needed to explore the possible link between PA, patients' decision-making abilities, and eating disturbances concerning dose-response questions.

Physical activity is unrelated to cognitive performance in pre-bariatric surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) and cognitive performance in extreme obesity. METHODS: Seventy-one bariatric surgery candidates (77.5% women) with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 46.9 kg/m2 (SD=6.0) and a mean age of 41.4 (SD=11.9) years completed SenseWear Pro2 activity monitoring for seven days. Cognitive functioning was assessed by a computerized test battery including tasks of executive function (Iowa Gambling Task), visuospatial short-term memory (Corsi Block Tapping Test) and verbal short-term memory (Auditory-Verbal Learning Test). Questionnaires assessing eating disturbances and depressive symptoms were administered. Somatic comorbidities were assessed by medical chart review. RESULTS: The level of PA was low with mean steps per day within wear time being 7140 (SD=3422). Most patients were categorized as sedentary (31.0%) or low active (26.8%). No significant association between PA estimates and cognitive performance was found. Lower PA was modestly correlated with higher BMI but not with age, somatic comorbidity or depressive symptoms. Moderated regression analyses suggested a significant interaction effect between depression and PA in predicting performance on the Corsi Block Tapping Test. Patients with (29.6%) and without (70.4%) regular binge eating did not differ with respect to PA or cognitive function. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate no association between daily PA and cognitive performance in morbidly obese patients. Future studies should explore the relationship between the variables with regard to dose-response-questions, a broader BMI range and with respect to potential changes after substantial weight loss due to bariatric surgery.

Body image and quality of life in patients with and without body contouring surgery following bariatric surgery: a comparison of pre- and post-surgery groups.

BACKGROUND: Massive weight loss (MWL) following bariatric surgery frequently results in an excess of overstretched skin causing physical discomfort and negatively affecting quality of life, self-esteem, body image, and physical functioning. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study 3 groups were compared: (1) patients prior to bariatric surgery (n = 79), (2) patients after bariatric surgery who had not undergone body contouring surgery (BCS) (n = 252), and (3) patients after bariatric surgery who underwent subsequent BCS (n = 62). All participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing body image (Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ), quality of life (IWQOL-Lite), symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). RESULTS: Overall, 62 patients (19.2%) reported having undergone a total of 90 BCS procedures. The most common were abdominoplasties (88.7%), thigh lifts (24.2%), and breast lifts (16.1%). Post-bariatric surgery patients differed significantly in most variables from pre-bariatric surgery patients. Although there were fewer differences between patients with and without BCS, patients after BCS reported better appearance evaluation (AE), body area satisfaction (BAS), and physical functioning, even after controlling for excess weight loss and time since surgery. No differences were found for symptoms of depression and anxiety, and most other quality of life and body image domains. DISCUSSION: Our results support the results of longitudinal studies demonstrating significant improvements in different aspects of body image, quality of life, and general psychopathology after bariatric surgery. Also, we found better AE and physical functioning in patients after BCS following bariatric surgery compared to patients with MWL after bariatric surgery who did not undergo BCS. Overall, there appears to be an effect of BCS on certain aspects of body image and quality of life but not on psychological aspects on the whole.

Cognitive function and nonfood-related impulsivity in post-bariatric surgery patients.

Initial evidence that cognitive function improves after bariatric surgery exists. The post-surgery increase in cognitive control might correspond with a decrease of impulsive symptoms after surgery. The present study investigated cognitive function and nonfood-related impulsivity in patients with substantial weight loss due to bariatric surgery by using a comparative cross-sectional design. Fifty post-bariatric surgery patients (postBS group) who had significant percent weight loss (M = 75.94, SD = 18.09) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (body mass index, BMI M post = 30.54 kg/m(2), SDpost = 5.14) were compared with 50 age and gender matched bariatric surgery candidates (preBS group; BMI M pre = 48.01 kg/m(2), SDpre = 6.56). To measure cognitive function the following computer-assisted behavioral tasks were utilized: Iowa Gambling Task, Tower of Hanoi, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test-Part B, and Corsi Block Tapping Test. Impulsive symptoms and behaviors were assessed using impulsivity questionnaires and a structured interview for impulse control disorders (ICDs). No group differences were found with regard to performance-based cognitive control, self-reported impulsive symptoms, and ICDs. The results indicate that the general tendency to react impulsively does not differ between pre-surgery and post-surgery patients. The question of whether nonfood-related impulsivity in morbidly obese patients changes post-surgery should be addressed in longitudinal studies given that impulsive symptoms can be considered potential targets for pre- as well post-surgery interventions.

Performance in neurocognitive tasks in obese patients. Does somatic comorbidity matter?

The aim of the present study was to examine if obese individuals with obesity-related somatic comorbidity (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, dyslipidemia, pain disorder) perform worse in neurocognitive tasks compared to obese individuals without any somatic disorder. Neurocognitive functioning was measured by a computerized test battery that consisted of the following tasks: Corsi Block Tapping Test, Auditory Word Learning Task, Trail Making Test-Part B, Stroop Test, Labyrinth Test, and a four-disk version of the Tower of Hanoi. The total sample consisted of 146 patients, the majority (N = 113) suffered from obesity grade 3, 26 individuals had obesity grade 2, and only 7 individuals obesity grade 1. Ninety-eight participants (67.1%) reported at least one somatic disorder (Soma(+)-group). Hypertension was present in 75 individuals (51.4%), type 2 diabetes in 34 participants (23.3%), 38 individuals had sleep apnea (26.0%), 16 suffered from dyslipidemia (11.0%), and 14 individuals reported having a chronic pain disorder (9.6%). Participants without a coexisting somatic disorder were younger [M Soma- = 33.7, SD = 9.8 vs. M Soma+ = 42.7, SD = 11.0, F(1, 144) = 23.01, p < 0.001] and more often female [89.6 and 62.2%, χ(2)(1) = 11.751, p = 0.001] but did not differ with respect to education, regular binge eating, or depressive symptoms from those in the Soma(+)-group. The Soma(-)-group performed better on cognitive tasks related to memory and mental flexibility. However, the group differences disappeared completely after controlling for age. The findings indicate that in some obese patients increasing age may not only be accompanied by an increase of obesity severity and by more obesity-related somatic disorders but also by poorer cognitive functioning.