Background

Assessment of disordered eating psychopathology is standard during the pre-surgical evaluation of patients presenting for metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). However, little is known about how usual dietary intake and relevant contextual factors relate to maladaptive eating behaviors among this population. This study evaluated associations of maladaptive eating behaviors with average daily dietary intake and related contextual factors (i.e., timing, location, and social characteristics of eating episodes) prior to MBS. Participants (N=145) completed: 1) three 24-hour dietary recalls via the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment (ASA24) Tool, which measures dietary intake and contextual factors, and 2) the Eating Disorder Examination, Bariatric Surgery Version, which assesses maladaptive eating behaviors. Nearly half (49%) of the sample (n=71) reported ≥1 objective overeating (OOE) episode, 6.2% (n=9) reported ≥1 objective binge eating (OBE) episode, and 1.4% (n=2) reported ≥1 one subjective binge eating (SBE) episode over the last three months. Greater frequency of OBE was associated with higher average protein intake (r[134]=.20, p=.020), and greater frequency of OOE was associated with higher average total energy (kcal) intake (r[133]=.26, p=.003). Post-hoc analyses confirmed that participants engaging in OOE consumed more kilocalories (M[SD]= 1986.18[840.43]) on average than individuals not engaging in OOE (M[SD]= 1654.26[730.55]), with no significant differences between other macronutrients. Additional patterns in the timing, location, and social characteristics of dietary intake will also be discussed. Taken together, these novel findings highlight the validity of self-reported OOE prior to surgery and provide contextual details that may be pertinent for pre-surgical intervention of maladaptive eating.