Background

Experienced weight stigma in bariatric surgery patients may impact post-surgical outcomes, with evidence supporting detrimental health effects following weight-based stigmatization. This meta-analysis examined patients' pre-surgical weight stigma experiences and weight change post-bariatric surgery.

Methods

Searches were conducted within six databases and a supplemental hand search. Quantitative studies examining experienced weight stigma in pre-surgical bariatric patients with post-surgical weight change (12 mos.) were included. This meta-analysis follows PRISMA guidelines.

Results

The search yielded 24 eligible studies. Five studies were initially included in the meta-analysis; the remaining studies captured variables of interest but lacked useable data. Upon contacting authors, we gained access to a sixth study to include in analyses. Following a sensitivity analysis, one study was excluded. The meta-analysis demonstrated a small, but significant effect of pre-surgery weight stigma on post-surgery weight change (r = -0.19, p < .05, CI: -0.637 to - 0.356). That is, higher pre-surgical weight stigma was associated with greater weight loss 1 year post-bariatric surgery.

Conclusions

Preliminary evidence from this review indicates that preoperative experienced weight stigma predicts greater weight loss post-bariatric surgery. Due to limited available studies, we could not examine moderators or confounders. It is possible that variables, such as BMI or psychological disorders, may contribute to this association. We found that several studies gathered data on variables of interest but did not report on the association between these variables. Thus, future research should publish these data to aid in our understanding of the potential impacts of weight stigma on bariatric surgery outcomes.