Negative Affect and Loss of Control Eating Among Bariatric Surgery Patients: an Ecological Momentary Assessment Pilot...

Research shows that loss of control (LOC) eating impacts weight outcomes following bariatric surgery, but mechanisms explaining the development and/or maintenance of post-surgical LOC eating remain unclear. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research among eating disorder populations has demonstrated prospective relationships between negative affect (NA) and LOC eating; however, this momentary effect has not been examined among bariatric surgery patients. Thus, this study used EMA data to examine momentary relationships between NA and LOC eating among pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients.

Fourteen pre- and 17 post-RYGB patients completed 2 weeks of EMA data collection. Participants responded to seven signals daily wherein they rated their mood and severity of LOC eating.

Higher momentary NA predicted more severe LOC eating for all participants. Group had a moderating effect, demonstrating that the association between NA and LOC eating was stronger among the post-surgery group. Percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) had a moderating effect within the post-surgery group, demonstrating that the relationship between NA and LOC eating was stronger for those who experienced less weight loss. Finally, between-subjects analyses revealed that, for individuals with lower %TBWL, lower overall NA and higher overall positive affect (PA) were related to greater LOC eating.

This research demonstrates that affect influences the effect of LOC eating on weight loss following bariatric surgery. While further work is needed to extend these preliminary findings, this research suggests that affective experience might become an important target in the assessment and treatment of LOC eating among bariatric patients.