Appetite Changes in Weight Regain and Weight Maintenance After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Purpose Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery produces significant weight loss. However, a number of patients experience weight regain years after surgery. Factors driving weight regain after surgical interventions are currently being explored. Our objective was to investigate appetite-related measures associated with weight regain after RYGB surgery. Materials and Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 29 participants (49.6 +/- 9.1 years of age; current BMI 32.4 +/- 4.7 kg/m2, 43.6 +/- 8.9 months post-RYGB) were stratified into tertiles according to weight regain per month after nadir (weight maintenance (WM), n = 9; low weight regain (LWR), n = 10; and high weight regain (HWR), n = 10). The average weight regain was, by design, significantly different between the groups (WM = 2.2 +/- 2.5 kg; LWR = 10.0 +/- 3.4 kg; HWR = 14.9 +/- 6.3 kg regained, p < 0.05). Appetite (visual analog scales), olfactory performance (sniffin sticks), eating behaviors (Three Factor Eating Questionnaire), food reward (Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire), and appetite-related hormones (ghrelin, PYY, GLP-1 and leptin) were measured fasting and in response to a standardized test meal. Results Dietary restraint was significantly higher than clinical cutoffs in WM and LWR (p < 0.05). As expected, significant time effects were noted for ghrelin, PYY, and GLP-1, but there were no group differences. Conclusion The results suggest that appetite-related outcomes are similar across individuals who have maintained weight loss and experienced regain following RYGB.

Automated summary

This study investigated the association between weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery and appetite-related measures. The results suggest that appetite-related outcomes are similar across individuals who have maintained weight loss and experienced regain following RYGB.