Physical fitness and appetite before and after bariatric surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A longitudinal study of the relationship between physical activity, body composition and physical performance in patients undergoing bariatric surgery
IRAS ID
154008
Contact name
J P H Wilding
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 0 days
Research summary
In addition to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, obesity is associated with poor physical fitness and an impaired ability to perform simple physical tasks required for everyday life. This impacts on quality of life and disability, whilst poor fitness is known to be associated with higher risk of death, regardless of weight. It is well known that bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss in severe obesity, however less is known about its effects on physical fitness and functioning. A number of studies have shown that patients have improved physical functioning after surgery, however this may be due to exercise becoming easier because of weight loss rather than improved fitness. This is important as the health risks of poor fitness may remain and it underlines there is likely scope for improvements in this outcome. The reasons for this are not well understood and a better understanding would help us design exercise interventions around the time of surgery to maximise improvements in physical fitness and functioning. In this study we will examine patient's fitness before and after surgery along with their ability to carry out simple everyday tasks and study this alongside changes in their body composition and amount of physical activity performed for the first time. We also know that much of the weight loss following bariatric surgery comes from a reduced appetite and patients feeling full earlier in a meal. The Universal Eating Monitor (UEM) is a piece of equipment that can continually measure food intake through a meal with recordings of how hungry or full participants feel throughout. We plan to use this machine to study patients before and after bariatric surgery for the first time, alongside measuring levels of certain appetite hormones, to better understand changes in appetite.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0132
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion