Physical activity post bariatric surgery perks up weight loss, quality of life

Washington, November 18 : Increased physical activity after bariatric surgery helps patients drop more weight and improve their quality of life, reveals a new study.

According to experts at The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, individuals who became active following bariatric surgery reported better progress relating to general health, vitality and depression as compared with those who remained inactive.

The researchers studied around 190 patients who had had a gastric bypass surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University and were set with a target of 200 minutes of weekly physical activity.

The inactive and the active individuals were also provided with a self-reported questionnaire to assess areas such as bodily pain, general health, energy levels, social functioning and mental health.

The boffins concluded 68 percent patients, who had been inactive prior to the surgery and had become highly active one year later, lost 13.2 lbs extra, reduced their BMI by two more units as well as reporting better quality life as compared to those who remained inactive after surgery.

Dale Bond, the lead author of the study published online by the journal 'Obesity', said: "Bariatric surgery is quickly emerging as a standard treatment for severe obesity, although weight loss outcomes vary.

"These results suggest that patient behavior, particularly physical activity, may promote both enhanced weight loss and greater improvements in health-related quality of life following bariatric surgery."

ANI