Bariatric Support Groups Predicts Long-term Weight Loss

Support groups are an integral part of bariatric surgery (BS) programs yet there is limited evidence for an association between support group attendance and BS weight outcomes.

University Hospital, Spain.

This study examined the effect of support group attendance on weight loss (WL) at short- and long-term follow-up (FU) following BS.

Participants were 531 (mean body mass index (BMI) = 45.8 (5.4) kg/m²; mean age 45.9 (11.1) years, 76.4% females) who underwent BS (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB): 233 (43.8%); sleeve gastrectomy (SG): 298 (56.2%)) in our clinic. The bariatric support group program (BSGP) consisted of two subprograms: Novel-BSGP (N-BSGP; first 12 months after surgery) and Experienced-BSGP (E-BSGP; FU between 12 months 5 years after BS).

Three hundred and twenty-three (60.8%) and 129 (24.3%) participants attended at least one session of N-BSGP and E-BSGP, respectively. Linear regression analyses showed that number of sessions attended during year 1 predicted percent total body WL (%TBWL (β = 0.381, p < 0.001)) and percent excess WL (%EWL (β = 0.928, p < 0.001)) at one year and number of sessions attended during years 2-5 were positively related to %TBWL and %EWL achieved at 5 years (%EWL: β = 0.162 (p = 0.014) and %TBWL: β = 0.378 (p = 0.013)) respectively.

We observed a significant beneficial effect of a post-surgical support group program on short- and long-term body WL after BS.