Psychological predictors of weight loss after bariatric surgery: A review of the recent research

Background: Morbid obesity is the fastest growing BMI group in the U.S. and the prevalence of morbid obesity worldwide has never been higher. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe forms of obesity especially with regardto a sustained long-term weight loss. Psychological factors are thought to play animportant role for maintaining the surgical weight loss. However, results from priorresearch examining preoperative psychological predictors of weight loss outcomeare inconsistent. The aim of this article was to review more recent literature onpsychological predictors of surgical weight loss.Methods: We searched PubMed, PsycInfo and Web of Science, for original prospectivestudies with a sample size >30 and at least one year follow-up, using a combina-tion of search terms such as ‘bariatric surgery’, ‘morbid obesity’, ‘psychologicalpredictors’, and ‘weight loss’. Only studies published after 2003 were included.Results: 19 eligible studies were identified. Psychological predictors of surgicalweight loss investigated in the reviewed studies include cognitive function, per-sonality, psychiatric disorder, and eating behaviour.