The Predictive Power of Non-Pathological Psychological Variables in Weight Loss Surgery

According to the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health, obesity is a global health problem. Worldwide, obesity is the fifth-leading cause of death. Weight loss surgeries such as gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass surgery have become increasingly popular methods to manage intractable obesity in the United States. Such surgeries have inherent risks, both medical and psychosocial, and as a result, candidates for weight loss surgery routinely undergo pre-surgical evaluations to determine their suitability for weight loss procedures. The current study was done in partnership with Kettering Bariatrics in Kettering, Ohio, and is an analysis of the ability of their pre-surgical psychological evaluation to predict post-surgical success. In this study, success was defined as percentage of weight lost. Regression analyses examined the predictive ability of six psychological constructs and four demographic variables on weight loss at three post-surgical time points. Different predictor variables were demonstrated to predict weight loss at different post-surgical intervals. The results of this study were interpreted using Prochaska & DiClemente\u27s Stages of Change as a theoretical framework. The clinical implications for mental health providers working with the weight loss surgery population are discussed, and suggestions for future research are made