A Cross-sectional Study of Reported Exercise and Medium-Term Weight Loss Following Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Exercise is a strong determinant of prolonged weight loss in non-surgical patients. Studies evaluating the impact of exercise beyond the first year after bariatric surgery are lacking. We analyzed the relationship between reported intentional exercise and medium-term weight loss following bariatric surgery.

Patients who underwent bariatric surgery from 2007 thru 2013 completed a follow-up telephone survey and were separated into groups based on reported weekly exercise, i.e., < 90 min week^-1, 90-200 min week^-1, and > 200 min week^-1. Standardized weight loss measures including percent of total weight loss, percent of excess body mass index (BMI) loss, percent of excess weight loss, and change in BMI were compared using analysis of covariance, with years from surgery as the covariant.

A total of 872 patients were included in this study (age = 48 ± 10 years; BMI = 48 ± 7 kg/m²), with a mean post-surgery follow-up of 39 ± 14 months. Patients reporting > 200 min week^-1 of planned exercise had greater weight loss than those who did less than 90 min week^-1 (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between those who reported less than 90 min week^-1and those reporting between 91 and 200 min week^-1.

This study suggests that regular exercise in excess of 200 min week^-1 is associated with greater medium-term weight loss following laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Multidisciplinary bariatric surgery teams should consider emphasizing exercise at this level to help patients achieve optimal weight loss.