The association between number of children and weight loss outcomes among individuals undergoing bariatric surgery

Background: Existing research demonstrates that parity is associated with risk for obesity. The majority of those who undergo bariatric surgery are women, yet little is known about whether having children before bariatric surgery is associated with pre- and postsurgical weight outcomes. Objectives: We aim to evaluate presurgical body mass index (BMI) and postsurgical weight loss among a racially diverse sample of women with and without children. Setting: Metropolitan hospital system. Methods: Women (n = 246) who underwent bariatric surgery were included in this study. Participants self-reported their number of children. Presurgical BMI and postsurgical weight outcomes at 1 year, including change in BMI (Delta BMI), percentage excess weight loss (%EWL), and percentage total weight loss (%TWL) were calculated from measured height and weight. Results: Those with children had a lower presurgical BMI (P = .01) and had a smaller DBMI (P = .01) at 1 year after surgery than those without children, although %EWL and %TWL at 1 year did not differ by child status or number of children. After controlling for age, race, and surgery type, the number of children a woman had was related to smaller DBMI at 1 year post surgery (P = .01). Conclusions: Although women with children had lower reductions in BMI than those without children, both women with and without children achieved successful postsurgical weight loss. Providers should assess for number of children and be cautious not to deter women with children from having bariatric surgery. (C) 2021 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Research shows that parity is linked to obesity risk; women who have children before bariatric surgery tend to have lower presurgical BMI and smaller BMI changes after surgery; regardless of having children or not, both women with and without children can achieve successful postsurgical weight loss.