Abstract
Purpose: Previous research on expectation of weight loss in the first year and total weight loss following bariatric surgery for obesity has focused on female patients. The present study extends this to a sample of 133 male bariatric surgery patients. Each patient completed the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory, providing information specific to current height and weight, how much weight they realistically expected to lose in 1 year, how much weight each of them realistically expected to lose overall, and their expected weight following surgery and sustained weight loss behavior. Main findings: The average amount of weight that patients wanted to lose in 12 months following bariatric surgery was found to be 114 and 162 pounds overall. Patients' expected body mass index (BMI) following surgery averaged at 27.9, in the overweight range. The majority (73.9%) were found to have BMI expectations following bariatric surgery that would leave them overweight, one quarter (26.1%) as being in the normal range, and none had too high expectations that would leave them with an underweight BMI. Slightly more than one-fourth (27.2%) expected to lose between 91% and 100% of their total weight during the first year. Conclusions: Utilizing the criteria of obtaining a BMI in the normal range, on average patients do not have excessively unrealistic overall weight loss goals. Nearly three-fourths have chosen goal weights that would still leave them with a BMI in the obese range. One-quarter of the patients may have unrealistic expectations for how fast they will lose their goal weight. Males and females have similar 12-month weight loss expectations, but women expect their overall weight to fall into the normal or underweight range more often than men.
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