title: Problematic intake of high-sugar/low-fat and high glycemic index foods by bariatric patients is associated with development of post-surgical new onset substance use disorders.
abstract: Bariatric or weight loss surgery (WLS) patients are overrepresented in substance abuse treatment, constituting about 3% of admissions; about 2/3 of such patients deny problematic substance use prior to WLS. It is important to advance our understanding of the emergence of substance use disorders (SUDs) - particularly the New Onset variant - after WLS. Burgeoning research with both animal models and humans suggests that "food addiction" may play a role in certain forms of obesity, with particular risk conferred by foods high in sugar but low in fat. Therefore, we hypothesized that WLS patients who reported pre-WLS problems with High-Sugar/Low-Fat foods and those high on the glycemic index (GI) would be those most likely to evidence New Onset SUDs after surgery. Secondary data analyses were conducted using a de-identified database from 154 bariatric surgery patients (88% female, Mage=48.7 yrs, SD=10.8, Mtime since surgery=2.7 yrs, SD=2.2 yrs). Participants who endorsed pre-surgical problems with High-Sugar/Low-Fat foods and High GI foods were at greater risk for New Onset SUD in the post-surgical period. These findings remained significant after controlling for other predictors of post-surgical SUD. Our findings provide evidence for the possibility of addiction transfer among certain bariatric patients.
authors: Eastern Michigan University, Psychology Department, Ypsilanti, MI, United States; George Washington University, Psychology Department, Washington, DC, United States. Electronic address: lfowler@gwmail.gwu.edu.
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Fowler
authors: Eastern Michigan University, Psychology Department, Ypsilanti, MI, United States; Yale University School of Medicine, Psychiatry Department, New Haven, CT, United States.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Ivezaj
authors: Eastern Michigan University, Psychology Department, Ypsilanti, MI, United States.
authors: Karen K
authors: KK
authors: Saules
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D019422:Dietary Sucrose
keywords: Addiction transfer; Bariatric surgery; Food addiction; Obesity; Substance abuse; Weight loss surgery