The eating‐related behaviours, disorders and expectations of candidates for bariatric surgery

Abstract

It is important that clinicians and researchers understand the possible eating-related difficulties experienced by pre-bariatric surgery candidates, as well as their expectations of how their eating and hunger will change after surgery. This review examines English-language publications related to the eating-related behaviours, disorders and expectations of bariatric candidates. Seventy-five articles related to binge eating disorder, grazing, night eating syndrome, emotional eating, food cravings and addiction, and pre-surgical expectations of post-surgical eating in this population were critically reviewed. A variety of often problematic eating behaviours appear more common in bariatric candidates than in non-obese populations. The literature suggests that 4-45% of candidates may have binge eating disorder, 20-60% may graze, 2-42% may have night eating syndrome, 38-59% may engage in emotional eating and 17-54% may fit criteria for food addiction. Binge eating may also be more prevalent in bariatric candidates than in similarly obese non-surgical individuals. Expectations of surgery are high, with pre-surgical candidates believing their bariatric procedure will virtually guarantee significantly improved eating behaviours. Study replications are needed, and further investigation into prevalence, impacts and candidate characteristics related to disordered eating behaviours, as well as candidates' expectations of eating after surgery, will be important. Further comparisons of bariatric candidates to similarly obese non-bariatric populations will be important to understand eating-related characteristics of candidates beyond those related to their weight. Future research may be improved by the use of validated measures, replicable methodologies, minimization of data collected in circumstances where respondents may been motivated to 'fake good', use of prospective data and consistent definitions of key terminology.

Eating disorders in bariatric surgery candidates admitted to Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital

“…Because of the differences of diagnostic criteria and assessment methods in studies, the prevalence of NES in bariatric surgery is 2-55%. 18 The prevalence of NES was found 2-20% in studies, made by using stricter diagnostic criteria in bariatric surgery samples. 4,5 In addition, studies suggest comorbidity with NES and BED partly.…”

“…Prevalence rates of BED (27-49%) were high for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. [17][18][19] According to a new meta-analysis, the prevalence of BED (based on random effects) among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery was 17%. 20 The prevalence of BED in our study was 11.1%.…”

Night eating syndrome and emotional states in university students

“…This prevalence is higher in some specific populations. The syndrome is found in 2 to 20% of the morbidly obese candidates for bariatric surgery 12 , in 8 to 25% of psychiatric patients 13 , and in 8.6% of patients with sleep apnea 14 . University students are exposed to several factors that could favour NES development.…”

An Explorative Analysis of Binge Eating Disorder Impulsivity among Obese Candidates to Bariatric Surgery

“…Previous studies showed that differences exist examining eating behaviours, emotional regulation and the response to food stimuli [47][48][49][50][51]. In this study we selected obese subjects with gorging and snacking behavior that can, in a continuous spectrum, be regarded as subjects with low psychopathology in all obese mental dimensions such as body image, mood and anxiety [28,29] (Table 4).…”