Grazing Behavior Hinders Weight Loss in Long-Term Post Bariatric Surgery: a Cross-Sectional Study

Grazing behavior is common in patients undergoing bariatric surgery (BS); however, little is known about grazing behavior in operated patients in the long term. We aimed to estimate grazing frequency and its association with weight loss and surgery response in patients who had undergone BS.

This cross-sectional study included 109 patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at least 5 years previously. They answered questions about socioeconomic factors, surgical information, and adherence to treatment/follow-up. The Rep(eat) questionnaire was used for grazing assessment. Student's t-test and Pearson's chi-square test were used to evaluate differences between groups. Analysis of covariance and partial correlation were used to investigate grazing behavior, and weight loss outcomes were controlled for the elapsed time since BS, healthcare service type, current psychologist care status, and the presence of a constriction ring.

The mean elapsed time since BS was 9.97 ± 2.39 years. Patients with grazing behavior (67%) comprised fewer surgery responders (p = 0.019), had lower total (%TWL, p = 0.005) and excess weight loss (%EWL, p = 0.029), and received less psychological counseling (45.5% vs. 54.5%, p = 0.042). Correlations were found between the presence of grazing and its subtypes and %EWL and %TWL (T = - 0.382, T = - 0.361, p < 0.001; compulsive grazing: T = - 0.358, T = - 0.342, p < 0.001, p = 0.001; non-compulsive grazing: T = - 0.333, T = - 0.311, p = 0.001, p = 0.003). No significant difference between patients with and without grazing behavior was found for previous/current diagnoses of psychological diseases or dietitian counseling.

Grazing behavior is common in the long-term among patients who have undergone BS and is negatively related to weight loss parameters.