The Effects of a Structured Diet and Exercise Intervention on Psychological Variables and Fitness Measures in Post-Bariatric Surgery Patients

There is a growing obesity epidemic in the United States and increasing numbers of individuals are turning to bariatric surgery as the solution. Fifty percent of patients regain weight after 48 months and post-surgical programs targeting behavior modification are not available at every surgery site. Project REACH (Relearn how to Eat, increase Activity and Create better Habits) was a newly developed intervention aimed at bariatric surgery patients 2-years post surgery who are struggling to maintain their weight loss. The purpose of this pre-experimental study was to analyze the effects of this 12- week exercise and diet plus counseling intervention on psychosocial and fitness variables. Eight participants self-selected into the program in the winter of 2010 and four completed the posttest. Large effects (Cohen’s d) for changes in several variables were found. Social Support for Eating from family, cardiorespiratory endurance (6 min. walk test), and Self-Regulation for Goal-Setting had large positive effects. We concluded postsurgical programs that foster social support, include in-class exercise and counseling, and target self-regulation skills have the potential to prevent regaining weight. Future research should focus on this understudied population and incorporate healthy eating technology, multiple groups, and longer duration into an experimental study.