Food cravings among bariatric surgery candidates.
OBJECTIVE
Food cravings are common, more prevalent in the obese, and may differ in those who pursue surgical treatment for obesity. Food craving tools are most often validated in non-clinical, non-obese samples.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, 227 bariatric surgery candidates at a large medical center completed the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). The aim was to explore the factor structure of the FCQ-T.


RESULTS
Principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed a seven-factor structure that explained 70.89 % of the variance. The seven factors were: (1) preoccupation with food, (2) emotional triggers, (3) environmental cues, (4) loss of control, (5) relief from negative emotions, (6) guilt, and (7) physiological response. The preoccupation with food factor accounted for 49.46 % of the variance in responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Unlike other populations, food cravings in bariatric surgery candidates appear to be related most to preoccupations with food.
Bariatric Surgery Program, Medical University of South Carolina, 25 Courtenay Dr., Suite 7100 A, MSC 290, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA, crowleyn@musc.edu.
Nina
N
Crowley
Alok
A
Madan
Sharlene
S
Wedin
Jennifer A
JA
Correll
Laura M
LM
Delustro
Jeffery J
JJ
Borckardt
T Karl
TK
Byrne
D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D066249:Craving; D004644:Emotions; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011594:Psychometrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires