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Prevention of Weight Regain Following Bariatric Surgery

  • Obesity Prevention (A Must, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for patients with severe or moderate obesity; however, long-term studies have identified that weight regain occurs post-operatively among a portion of patients. The underlying factors that influence weight regain following bariatric surgery are multifactorial and include endocrine/metabolic alterations, anatomic surgical failure, nutritional indiscretion, mental health issues, and physical inactivity. The extent and significance of these factors is currently uncertain and likely varies between individuals and the operative procedure performed. Multiple observational and non-randomized studies and a few randomized controlled trials have been reported that focus on improving post-operative weight loss. Across all of the behavioral and group support studies, patients in the treatment groups showed either no benefit or modestly greater weight loss than patients in the control groups. There are no randomized controlled trials that have specifically targeted weight regain. Additional clinical research is needed to identify etiological factors and interventional strategies.

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Conflict of Interest

Robert F. Kushner and Kirsten Webb Sorensen declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, Rubloff 9-976, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Robert F. Kushner

  2. Center for Lifestyle Medicine, Northwestern Medicine, 675 N. St. Clair St. Galter Pavilion, Suite 17-250, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Kirsten Webb Sorensen

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  1. Robert F. Kushner
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Correspondence to Robert F. Kushner.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Obesity Prevention

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Kushner, R.F., Sorensen, K.W. Prevention of Weight Regain Following Bariatric Surgery. Curr Obes Rep 4, 198–206 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-015-0146-y

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