The Effects of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery on Body Image

Background: Numerous studies examine the physical effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) surgery on morbid obesity. However, the effects of this surgery on psychosocial issues such as body image have not been extensively studied. Methods: This pilot study used a cross-sectional design to examine the effects of RYGBP surgery on patients' perceived body image. Four groups (n=20) were assessed for perceived change in body image at 4 time intervals.These included pre-surgery,1 to 3 weeks post-surgery, 6-months post-surgery, and 1- year post-surgery,with two measures of body image. One-way ANOVA was applied, with body image measures as the dependent variables, and time since surgery (group) as the independent variable. Planned post-hoc t-tests were applied to assess the differences between specific groups (pre vs. 1 week, pre vs. 6 months post, 6 months post vs. 1 year post). Results: Results of the one-way ANOVAs revealed significant improvement on perceptions of body image over time following surgery. Follow-up t-tests revealed that the most significant improvement occurred between pre-surgery and 6 months postsurgery. Although smaller, the change between 6 months post-surgery and 1 year post-surgery was also significant. Conclusion: While RYGBP results in numerous medical and physical benefits, this study reveals that there are also dramatic improvements in perceived body image, demonstrating the impact of this surgery on a patient's psychosocial health.