Bariatric surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality.

As compared with conventional therapy, bariatric surgery appears to be a viable option for the treatment of severe obesity, resulting in long-term weight loss, improved lifestyle, and, except for hypercholesterolemia, amelioration in risk factors that were elevated at baseline.

Compared with usual care, bariatric surgery was associated with reduced number of cardiovascular deaths and lower incidence of cardiovascular events in obese adults.

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LGBP patients demonstrated better outcomes compared with LVBG patients in terms of body composition. Energy expenditure developed as expected postoperatively. A "steering" away from fatty foods after LGBP may be an important mechanism of action in gastric bypass.

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OBJECTIVE:To investigate snacking frequency in relation to energy intake and food choices, taking physical activity into account, in obese vs reference men and women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SUBJECTS: In total, 4259 obese, middle-aged subjects (1891 men and 2368 women) from the baseline examination of the XENDOS study and 1092 subjects (505 men and 587 women) from the SOS reference study were included. MEASUREMENTS: A meal pattern questionnaire describing habitual intake occasions (main meals, light meals/breakfast, snacks, drink-only), a dietary questionnaire describing habitual energy and macronutrient intake and a questionnaire assessing physical activity at work and during leisure time were used. RESULTS: The obese group consumed snacks more frequently compared to the reference group (Po0.001) and women more frequently than men (Po0.001). Energy intake increased with increasing snacking frequency, irrespective of physical activity. Statistically significant differences in trends were found for cakes/cookies, candies/chocolate and desserts for the relation between energy intake and snacking frequency, where energy intake increased more by snacking frequency in obese subjects than in reference subjects. CONCLUSION: Obese subjects were more frequent snackers than reference subjects and women were more frequent snackers than men. Snacks were positively related to energy intake, irrespective of physical activity. Sweet, fatty food groups were associated with snacking and contributed considerably to energy intake. Snacking needs to be considered in obesity treatment, prevention and general dietary recommendations.

MARIANNE E MATHIASSEN, JAN KARLSSON, MARIANNE SULLIVAN, CALLE BENGTSSON, LARS SJOSTROM. Dietary intake in relation to restrained eating, disinhibition, and hunger in obese and nonobese Swedish women. Obes Res. 1997;5:175-182. The aims of this study were to: describe dietary intakes of obese and nonobese middle-aged women using a validated food frequency questionnaire; to assess dietary restraint, disinhibition, and hunger by the three factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) in obese and nonobese samples and determine which of the factors are independently associated with obesity; and to examine correlations between selected nutritional variables and the TFEQ factors. Subjects studied included 179 obese Swedish women (BMb32) and 147 nonobese population-based controls (BMIe28). Age-adjusted mean energy intake was significantly higher in obese women (2730 f 78 vs. 2025 f 85 kcal,pc0.0001). In absolute and relative terms, fat intake was higher and alcohol intake was lower in the obese subjects. Disinhibition was the strongest TFEQ factor independently differentiating the obese and nonobese states, i.e., after adjustment for restraint and hunger. Within the obese sample, strong associations were seen between energy intake and disinhibition @=O.OOOS) and hunger @=0.0004). The association between energy intake and restrained eating was negative and weaker @=0. seen in nonobese women. Thus, using a dietary instrument that is valid and unbiased with respect to obesity, strong psychological correlates, possibly causal, of variability in energy intake were detected in middle-aged women with obesity. Disinhibition is associated with both obesity and high-energy intakes and is therefore an important factor to consider in the treatment of women with obesity.