Changes in eating behavior after horizontal gastroplasty and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Postoperative changes in eight dietary variables were compared at 6-mo intervals over 24 mo in 53 horizontal-gastroplasty (HGP) and 51 Roux-en-Y gastric-bypass (RYGB) patients; the variables included 1) calorie intake; percent intake of 2) protein, 3) carbohydrate, and 4) fat; 5) sweets and high-calorie beverages (SWS) and 6) milk and ice cream (MIC) as percent of calories; and 7) high-calorie liquids (HCL) and 8) nonliquid sweets (NLS) as percentage of dietary sugar. Weight and calorie intake were significantly less after RYGB than after HGP after 6 mo (p less than or equal to 0.01). Protein intake was significantly increased at all intervals after RYGB and at 6 and 12 mo after HGP (p less than 0.05). After RYGB, intakes of SWS, MIC, and HCL were significantly decreased at all intervals (p less than 0.05). SWS and MIC consumption was also significantly less after RYGB than after HGP (p less than or equal to 0.05). Decreased SWS and MIC consumption in RYGB patients suggests that food-preference differences are partially responsible for the lower calorie intake and greater weight loss after RYGB than after HGP.