Changes in hedonic hunger and problematic eating behaviors in adults undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Background Following RYGB, patients experience changes in hedonic hunger (the drive to eat food for pleasure in the absence of physiological hunger) and eating behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine changes in hedonic hunger and problematic eating behaviors (PEBs) in adults undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Methods This study was conducted between January 2024 and April 2024 with 70 adults undergoing RYGB who met the conditions for participation in the study. Hedonic hunger was assessed with the Power of Food Scale (PFS) and PEBs with the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a week before and 12 week after surgery by the researcher through face-to-face. The PFS consists of 3 subscales [food available (FA), food present (FP) and food tasted (FT)] and the EDE-Q consists of 4 subscales [restraint (R), eating concern (EC), shape concern (SC) and weight concern (WC)]. Increasing scores for both PFS and EDE-Q represent increased hedonic hunger and severity of PEBs, respectively. SPSS 25.0 package program was applied to evaluate the data. Results A total of 70 participants completed the study (70% females; BMI: 37.4 ± 4.5 kg/m ² ; age: 32.4 ± 7.9 years). Average weight loss was 18.6 ± 5.3 kg (17.6%). Significantly reductions were observed in total (change in mean score ± SD = 1.16 ± 0.30; p < 0.001) and all subscales score of PFS [− 1,16 ± 0.45; p < 0.001 (FA subscale), − 1.36 ± 0.33; p < 0.001 (FP subscale) and − 0.81 ± 0.15; p < 0.01 (FT subscale)] at 12 weeks after surgery compared to baseline. Similarly significantly reductions were observed in EDE-Q scores in total (− 1.05 ± 0.37; p < 0.05) and subscales [− 1.22 ± 0.51; p < 0.05 (EC subscale),−1.97 ± 0.27; p < 0.001 (SC subscale) and − 1.34 ± 0.18; p < 0.001 (WC subscale)] except for the 'R' subscale (+ 0.31 ± 0.51; p < 0.001). Weight loss were non-significantly positively related to reduction in EDE-Q total and all subscale scores. Conclusions Hedonic hunger and severity of problematic eating behaviors reduced in the early postoperative period (12 week) of RYGB compare to pre-op. Although the relationship was not significantly, weight loss increased as problematic eating behaviors decreased.