Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Bariatric Surgery Patients

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity; however, many patients demonstrate attenuated long-term weight loss outcomes. The variability in outcomes observed following surgery may be partly attributed to behavioral and psychological factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity, and that affect patients' abilities to adequately adhere to postoperative dietary guidelines. Given that surgical interventions alone do not directly address these factors, there has been increasing recognition of the role for adjunct psychosocial interventions in enhancing bariatric surgery outcomes. Preliminary research has demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a skills-based psychosocial intervention, may be effective in improving eating pathology and psychosocial functioning in both preoperative and postoperative bariatric surgery patients. It will be important for future research studies to examine the durability of treatment improvements and the impact of CBT on long-term weight loss outcomes utilizing randomized controlled study designs.