MERVE ÖZ, ASLIHAN DÖNMEZ
Journal of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research - 2023;12(3):208-220
Bariatric surgery is one of the most effective treatments of obesity, but some patients regain weight post-operatively. Continuum of disordered eating behaviors and emotional eating are among the main predictors of weight regain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on the body mass index, emotional eating and mindful eating of post-bariatric surgery patients. The study was designed as a randomized control trial. A total of 60 post-bariatric surgery patients were randomized into two groups: 1) 30 patients received only nutritional education; 2) 30 patients received cognitive behavioral therapy and nutritional education. Acute treatment phase consisted of 5 one in two-week sessions, maintenance phase consisted of 3 monthly sessions, and a follow-up session was made at the end of 1 year. All patients were evaluated for body mass index and emotional eating scale and mindful eating questionnaire were applied at baseline (1st session), after the acute phase (5th session), at last session of maintenance phase (8th session), and at 1-year follow-up. Body mass index of both groups decreased significantly at the end of acute and maintenance phase, but mean body mass index of only nutritional education group increased at the end of 1st year follow up while CBT group preserved the weight loss. Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for continuum of weight loss, decrease of emotional eating and increase of mindful eating of post-bariatric patients, and these beneficial effects of cognitive behavioral therapy are preserved at the end of 1 year.
