A number ofsurgical weight-loss proceduresare available for the treatment ofobesity. Some of these procedures have been in practice for decades, and the well-established health benefits can include a lower risk ofdiabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Bariatric surgery can also have effects on mental health.
Portra / Getty Images
What Bariatric Surgery Is
Candidates for Bariatric Surgery
The obesity guideline writing committee did not find sufficient evidence to recommend bariatric surgery for patients with a BMI below these cutpoints.
The Meaning of Overweight vs. Obesity
The guideline further advises primary care doctors and others caring for patients with obesity with high BMI to try behavioral treatment with or without pharmacotherapy first. Then if this has not worked along with other diet and lifestyle measures to achieve sufficient weight loss, bariatric surgery may be considered.
BMI is not a perfect measure because it does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.However, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
BMI is not a perfect measure because it does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.
However, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
How Bariatric Surgery Impacts Mental Health
Bariatric surgery may have a beneficial effect on mental health, but the mental health benefits are not guaranteed. Research is shedding a light on the mental health effects and providing some direction about how to approach mental health before and after weight loss procedures.
Depression and Binge Eating Disorder
A 2016 meta-analysis included 68 publications that reported on mental health conditions in the context of bariatric surgery. According to the study authors, the most common mental health conditions among people seeking bariatric surgery were depression andbinge eating disorder. Specifically, 19% of patients were found to have depression and 17% were found to have binge eating disorder.
The researchers found that bariatric surgery was consistently associated with lower rates of depression and a decrease in the severity of symptoms of depression after the operation. Neither depression nor binge eating disorder was found to be consistently associated with differences in weight outcomes following surgery,
Inconsistent results
The mental benefits are not found across the board after surgery, and treating mental health problems isn’t always effective. A research study that included 130 patients who had bariatric surgery found that 37% had mental health symptoms when they were evaluated three and five years after the surgery.
The patients who had mental health symptoms were also less likely to have lost sufficient weight after surgery. Furthermore, the researchers found that cognitive behavioral therapy did not help prevent mental health symptoms.
Weight Bias Internalization
Specific approaches to therapy could potentially benefit mental health after bariatric surgery. Another research study found that weight bias internalization was common among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. This bias led to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
The researchers suggested that therapy specifically targeting weight bias internalization could be beneficial for patients' mental health.
A Word From Verywell
Obesity can have a substantial effect on mental health. If you are planning on having bariatric surgery, you should know that getting to a healthy weight can potentially improve your mental health. But weight loss alone might not be sufficient to alleviate issues of depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Keep in mind that obesity is a health condition, and you owe it to yourself to get comprehensive treatment for all of your symptoms—including your mental health symptoms. Seek out a referral to a mental health professional so you can get the treatment you need for any mental health issues that you are dealing with.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines; Obesity Society.2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society.J Am Coll Cardiol.2014 Jul 1;63(25 Pt B):2985-3023. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.004Dawes AJ, Maggard-Gibbons M, Maher AR, Booth MJ, Miake-Lye I, Beroes JM, Shekelle PG.Mental health conditions Among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery: A meta-analysis.JAMA. 2016 Jan 12;315(2):150-63. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18118Paul L, van der Heiden C, van Hoeken D, Deen M, Vlijm A, Klaassen R, Biter LU, Hoek HW.Three- and five-year follow-up results of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy before bariatric surgery.Int J Eat Disord.2022 Oct 21. doi:10.1002/eat.23825Liu X, Zhang W, Yue W, Sun C, Li W.From weight bias internalization to health-related quality of life: Self-esteem and psychopathology in pre-bariatric surgery patients.Obes Surg. 2022 Sep 3. doi:10.1007/s11695-022-06261-zAdditional ReadingJensen MD, Ryan DH.New obesity guidelines: promise and potential.JAMA. 2014;311(1):23-4.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines; Obesity Society.2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society.J Am Coll Cardiol.2014 Jul 1;63(25 Pt B):2985-3023. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.004Dawes AJ, Maggard-Gibbons M, Maher AR, Booth MJ, Miake-Lye I, Beroes JM, Shekelle PG.Mental health conditions Among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery: A meta-analysis.JAMA. 2016 Jan 12;315(2):150-63. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18118Paul L, van der Heiden C, van Hoeken D, Deen M, Vlijm A, Klaassen R, Biter LU, Hoek HW.Three- and five-year follow-up results of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy before bariatric surgery.Int J Eat Disord.2022 Oct 21. doi:10.1002/eat.23825Liu X, Zhang W, Yue W, Sun C, Li W.From weight bias internalization to health-related quality of life: Self-esteem and psychopathology in pre-bariatric surgery patients.Obes Surg. 2022 Sep 3. doi:10.1007/s11695-022-06261-zAdditional ReadingJensen MD, Ryan DH.New obesity guidelines: promise and potential.JAMA. 2014;311(1):23-4.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines; Obesity Society.2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society.J Am Coll Cardiol.2014 Jul 1;63(25 Pt B):2985-3023. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.004Dawes AJ, Maggard-Gibbons M, Maher AR, Booth MJ, Miake-Lye I, Beroes JM, Shekelle PG.Mental health conditions Among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery: A meta-analysis.JAMA. 2016 Jan 12;315(2):150-63. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18118Paul L, van der Heiden C, van Hoeken D, Deen M, Vlijm A, Klaassen R, Biter LU, Hoek HW.Three- and five-year follow-up results of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy before bariatric surgery.Int J Eat Disord.2022 Oct 21. doi:10.1002/eat.23825Liu X, Zhang W, Yue W, Sun C, Li W.From weight bias internalization to health-related quality of life: Self-esteem and psychopathology in pre-bariatric surgery patients.Obes Surg. 2022 Sep 3. doi:10.1007/s11695-022-06261-z
Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines; Obesity Society.2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society.J Am Coll Cardiol.2014 Jul 1;63(25 Pt B):2985-3023. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.004
Dawes AJ, Maggard-Gibbons M, Maher AR, Booth MJ, Miake-Lye I, Beroes JM, Shekelle PG.Mental health conditions Among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery: A meta-analysis.JAMA. 2016 Jan 12;315(2):150-63. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18118
Paul L, van der Heiden C, van Hoeken D, Deen M, Vlijm A, Klaassen R, Biter LU, Hoek HW.Three- and five-year follow-up results of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy before bariatric surgery.Int J Eat Disord.2022 Oct 21. doi:10.1002/eat.23825
Liu X, Zhang W, Yue W, Sun C, Li W.From weight bias internalization to health-related quality of life: Self-esteem and psychopathology in pre-bariatric surgery patients.Obes Surg. 2022 Sep 3. doi:10.1007/s11695-022-06261-z
Jensen MD, Ryan DH.New obesity guidelines: promise and potential.JAMA. 2014;311(1):23-4.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
