Pre-surgical stress and social support predict post-surgical percent excess weight loss in a population of bariatric surgery patients.

Although bariatric surgery is an effective treatment of morbid obesity, many patients fail to lose significant weight or regain weight over time. This study examined pre-surgical psychosocial predictors (stress, social support for healthy eating, emotion regulation, and sleep quality/quantity) of three-month post-surgical percent excess weight loss (EWL) in a population of adult bariatric surgery patients. Overall, findings suggest higher levels of stress (B = -.248, p =.017) and less social support for healthy eating (B =.311, p =.013) predict lower three-month post-surgery percent EWL. Emotion regulation, and sleep measures did not predict post-surgery percent EWL. Therefore, level of stress and social support should be assessed prior to bariatric surgery and considered important pre-surgical intervention targets.