The Utility of the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory (WALI) in Predicting 2-Year Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery

Background: Emotional eating (EE) has been implicated as an important variable in bariatric surgery and is frequently assessed during preoperative evaluations. Little is known about the association between preoperative EE and postoperative outcomes. This study examined associations between preoperative EE, as measured by the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory, and 2-year postoperative percent weight loss. Methods: Data collected during preoperative evaluations were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 685 patients completed intake data, with 357 patients (52 %) completing 2-year follow-up measures. The average time from the initial appointment to surgery is 6 months. Preoperative data was collected at approximately month 2 of this 6-month period. Follow-up data was collected during 2-year postoperative follow-up visits. Results: The average percent of weight lost was 22.93 (SD = 13.62). Analyses indicated that (1) EE was not associated with percent weight loss for the overall sample, (2) EE was not associated with percent weight loss for females, (3) EE in response to positive affect was associated with percent weight loss for males, and (4) the interaction between preoperative depressive symptoms and EE was not associated with percent weight loss for either sex. Conclusion: While the WALI provides a fruitful means of gathering clinical information, results suggested no association between scores on Section H of the WALI and weight loss. The results suggest that EE may impact surgical outcomes differentially in men as compared to women. Future research should seek to replicate these findings and focus on gender differences related to surgical outcomes.