title: Two-year changes in health-related quality of life in gastric bypass patients compared with severely obese controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few weight loss surgery trials have evaluated the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) relative to obese individuals not participating in weight loss interventions. In a prospective study at a bariatric surgery practice, we evaluated the 2-year changes in HRQOL in gastric bypass patients compared with 2 severely obese groups who did not undergo surgical weight loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 308 gastric bypass patients were compared with 253 individuals who sought but did not undergo gastric bypass and 272 population-based obese individuals using the weight-related (Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite) and general (Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey) HRQOL questionnaires at baseline and 2 years of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of weight loss was 34.2% for the gastric bypass and 1.4% for the no gastric bypass groups, with a .5% gain for population-based obese group. Both measures of HRQOL showed greater improvements for the gastric bypass group, even after controlling for baseline differences. Effect sizes for changes in physical and weight-related HRQOL were very large for gastric bypass, but small to medium for the 2 comparison groups. Effect sizes for changes in the psychosocial aspects of HRQOL were moderate to very large for gastric bypass, but small for the 2 comparison groups. Of the gastric bypass patients, 97% had meaningful improvements in the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite total score compared with 43% of the no gastric bypass group and 30% of the population-based obese group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dramatic improvements had occurred in weight-related and physical HRQOL for gastric bypass patients at 2 years after surgery compared with 2 severely obese groups who had not undergone surgery. These results support the effectiveness of gastric bypass surgery in improving patients' HRQOL.
authors.affiliation: Obesity and Quality of Life Consulting, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Ronette L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kolotkin
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gress
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Ted D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology