Background

Research suggests addictive-like eating behaviors (e.g., diminished control over consumption) triggered by exposure to highly-processed foods are common among patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). Yet, little is known about changes in food addiction (FA) symptoms and relations with food wanting (motivation to consume food) and liking (pleasure from tasting food) after MBS.Objective: Evaluate pre- to 1-year postoperative changes in FA symptom count and severity after sleeve gastrectomy (SG); and associations of changes in food wanting/liking with changes in FA symptoms.

Methods

Participants completed the: Yale Food Addiction Survey (YFAS) to determine FA symptom count (range=0-7) and severity (frequency/presence of addictive behaviors across all symptoms combined, score range=0-76); Power of Food Scale (PFS) to measure food wanting (higher scores=more food wanting); and Food Liking Survey Dietary Quality Index (higher scores=healthier food liking). Multiple linear regression assessed associations between changes in food wanting/liking and FA symptom count/severity, controlling for baseline demographics, depression severity, and FA symptoms.

Results

Participants (n=57) on average reported decreases in FA symptom count (2.48+-1.45 to 1.95+-1.53, p=.019) and severity (19.0+-9.43 to 14.90+-10.73, p=.004) postoperatively. Decreases in PFS-total scores related to decreases in FA symptom count and severity (ßs=0.41-0.58, ps<.001). Increases in DQI scores were related to decreases in symptom count only (ß=0.21, p=.023).

Conclusions

Decreased food wanting and increased liking of healthier foods were related to favorable FA symptom changes after SG. Future research should examine whether changes in FA symptoms and relationships with food wanting/liking are sustained beyond the immediate postoperative year.