| Many post-operative gastric bypass patients return to morbid obesity and resume overeating, but there is little empirical evidence to indicate why. These eating problems may function to regulate uncomfortable emotions and involve aspects of mindlessness, such as dissociation, automaticity, and self-judgment. This study used a prospective correlational design to determine: (a) what aspects of mindfulness are problematic in this population, (b) whether mindfulness is associated with improved post-operative eating outcomes, and (c) whether impulsivity or emotion regulation mediate the relationship between mindfulness and eating outcomes. Twenty-eight patients from local private bariatric medical practices were studied. Participants completed self-report measures at their six and fourteen month post-operative assessment points (times 1 and 2, respectively), as well the Eating Disorders Examination interview at time 2. Results found gastric bypass patients have greater judgmental tendencies than normative samples. Post hoc analyses suggest that patients who act on automatic pilot, are higher in judgmental tendencies and reactive to internal experience may have greater difficult with total weight loss. As well, mindfulness facets of describing and observing may be helping optimal levels of overall weight loss. Finally, depressive and anxiety symptoms and impulsivity tendencies appear to be related to disordered and emotional eating during the post-operative process. This study has begun to unravel some of the potential psychological processes that may be influencing problem eating behaviors and outcomes of gastric-bypass surgery as well as possible treatment implications. These findings highlight areas requiring further empirical investigation to understand these relationships to further develop mindfulness-based treatment interventions that are effective for gastric bypass patients struggling with problem eating behaviors. |
