Why surgery and diet change how you think about food differently
Opposing patterns in eating behaviors following bariatric surgery versus lifestyle-induced weight loss
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people lose weight by having surgery, their body naturally feels less hungry and less tempted by food. When people lose weight by dieting, they have to think harder and use willpower to avoid eating too much.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When people lose weight by having surgery, their body naturally feels less hungry and less tempted by food. When people lose weight by dieting, they have to think harder and use willpower to avoid eating too much.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Vuorela L, Berntzen BJ, Muniandy M, Saarinen T, Meriläinen S, Koivukangas V, Suojanen L, Groop PH, Rissanen A, Virtanen K, Juuti A, Pietiläinen KH, Heinonen S
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Claims (6)
When a person loses weight, their body burns fewer calories and they feel hungrier for a period of time; these changes return to normal after the lost weight is regained.
In obese adults, losing weight through bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes both reduce feelings of hunger and loss of control over eating over 12 months. However, for each pound lost, lifestyle changes lead to a greater reduction in hunger, suggesting the two methods affect appetite through different biological and behavioral pathways.
Obese adults who undergo bariatric surgery experience a larger decrease in impulsive eating behaviors triggered by external cues compared to those who lose weight through diet and exercise alone, over a 12-month period.
Obese adults who lose weight through lifestyle changes tend to rely more on deliberate mental strategies to control eating, such as strict dieting or flexible planning, while those who undergo bariatric surgery tend to rely less on these conscious strategies.
Among obese adults without diabetes, those who undergo bariatric surgery tend to maintain or reduce their mental focus on controlling food intake over a year, while those who lose weight through diet and exercise tend to increase their mental focus on controlling food intake, even when both groups lose similar amounts of weight.