Weight-loss surgery may turn your love life upside down, new research suggests.
In one of two new Swedish studies, major weight loss after bariatric surgery was associated with more divorces.
In the other study, singles were more likely to form new relationships or marry after a weight-loss operation.
“Those of us who take care of bariatric surgery patients notice that many patients experience a pretty profound change in their lives,” said Dr. Luke Funk, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
One woman’s journey to wellness.
“Their significant weight loss and improvements in other health problems — like high blood pressure and diabetes — cause changes in both their physical and mental well-being,” added Funk, co-author of an editorial published with the study.
“They often take up new hobbies, become much more physically active, and feel much more confident about themselves. They also tend to have an improved self-image. I think this leads many to re-examine their relationships with others,” said Funk.
Weight-loss surgery is an effective treatment for severely obese patients who want to control related health issues, the study authors noted. Its popularity is growing, with nearly 470,000 bariatric procedures performed globally in 2013.
But researchers have found a mixed bag of effects in terms of behavior, ranging from improved quality of life on the one hand to increased risk of substance abuse on the other.
One of the new studies tracked the relationship histories of nearly 2,000 obese Swedes who underwent weight-loss surgery over 10 years. The investigators compared the patients with about 1,900 obese adults who did not have surgery.
The other study looked at about three years’ worth of post-surgical data on about 29,000 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery. Those patients were compared with over 280,000 individuals in the general public.
The study authors found that bariatric surgery was tied to increased odds for divorce or separation for those in a prior relationship, especially for those who lost the most weight.
