Patients’ Perspectives on Dietary Patterns and Eating Behaviors During Weight Regain After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Abstract

Purpose: Food quality, energy intake, and various eating-related problems have been highlighted as some of the components influencing weight after bariatric surgery. This study aimed to increase our knowledge of patients’ perspectives on dietary patterns and eating behaviors during weight regain after bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods: We recruited 4 men and 12 women with obesity and the experience of weight regain after bariatric surgery at an obesity clinic in Stockholm, Sweden. Data were collected during 2018–2019. We conducted a qualitative study, carried out individual semi-structured interviews, and analyzed the recorded and transcribed interview data with thematic analysis. Results: Participants had regained 12 to 71% from their lowest weight after gastric bypass surgery performed 3 to 15 years before. They perceived their dietary challenges as overwhelming and had not expected weight management, meal patterns, increasing portion sizes, and appealing energy-dense foods to be problematic after surgery. In addition, difficulties with disordered eating patterns, emotional eating, and increased alcohol intake further contributed to the weight management hurdles. Insufficient nutritional knowledge and lack of support limited participants’ ability to avoid weight regain, leading to restrictive eating and dieting without sustained weight loss. Conclusion: Eating behavior and dietary factors such as lack of nutritional knowledge, emotional eating, or disorganized meal patterns contribute to difficulties with weight management after gastric bypass surgery. Improved counseling may help patients prepare for possible weight regain and remaining challenges with food and eating. The results highlight the importance of regular medical nutrition therapy after gastric bypass surgery. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]