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.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of food addiction (FA) and binge eating (BE) two years after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and their associations with weight outcomes. The results showed that 40.0% of participants had FA and 46.7% had BE before surgery. The prevalence of FA and BE decreased during the early postoperative period but remained significant at two years. Preoperative BE was associated with higher weight regain.