title: Longitudinal trends in food cravings following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in an adolescent sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food cravings are more prevalent and potentially problematic for many individuals with obesity. Initial evidence suggests that bariatric surgery has some short-term beneficial effects on cravings in adults, but little is known about the effect on adolescents or the trajectory beyond 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of the present study was to determine the longitudinal effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on food cravings in a sample of adolescents with severe obesity (body mass index (BMI)≥40 kg/m2). Sixteen adolescents were recruited and underwent RYGB. Participants completed the Food Craving Inventory before RYGB, and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively. The present study took place in a single pediatric tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RYGB produced a negative (cravings decreased as time increased) nonlinear trend for total food cravings as well as for each individual subscale (sweets, high fat foods, carbohydrates, fast food) over the 24-month study period. This means that while cravings decrease postsurgically, there is a decline in the slope with the line reaching asymptote at approximately 18 months. BMI change was not a significant predictor of food cravings, but low statistical power may account for this lack of significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide preliminary evidence that RYGB decreases food cravings in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas, Clinical Child Psychology Program, Lawrence, Kansas. Electronic address: christopher.cushing@ku.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cushing
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Peugh
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Cassie S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Brode
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Inge
authors.affiliation: University of Cincinnati, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Meg H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zeller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001066:Appetite; D066249:Craving; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011184:Postoperative Period
keywords: Adolescents; Food cravings; Longitudinal data; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass