No addiction transfer from preoperative food addiction to other addictive behaviors during the first year after bariatric surgery

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the remission of preoperative food addiction is associated with increases or new onset of other addictions within the first year following bariatric surgery. Methods: One hundred and twenty-five bariatric surgery patients were assessed before surgery (t1) and at 6 months (t2) and 1 year (t3) follow-ups. The assessments included the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and standardized questionnaires to measure symptoms of problematic alcohol use, gambling disorder, internet-use disorder, buying-shopping disorder, hypersexual disorder and exercise dependence. Results: Forty-nine (39.2%) patients were assigned to the food addiction (FA+) and 76 patients (60.8%) to the non-food addiction group (FA−) based on their preoperative YFAS scores. Overall, BMI and symptoms of food addiction decreased significantly from baseline to follow-ups. Preoperative food addiction status was not associated with postoperative increases or new onset of other addictions. Elevated symptoms of buying-shopping disorder, internet-use and hypersexual behaviour at baseline in the FA+-group decreased over time and were comparable to the FA−-group at follow-ups. Conclusion: The ‘addiction transfer’ or ‘cross addiction’ hypothesis was not supportive for alcohol addiction, gambling addiction or other behaviours that may be addictive. Further studies are needed that investigate larger samples and longer observation periods, as well as other substance-use disorders.