PERCEPÇÕES DE PÓS-BARIÁTRICOS SOBRE O COMPORTAMENTO ALIMENTAR NA PANDEMIA: Um estudo qualitativo

The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in the population's food consumption, impacting mental and physical health. This study aimed to describe perceptions about the influence of the pandemic on the eating behavior of people who underwent bariatric surgery (BS) during this period. This is a qualitative research, with the participation of six people who underwent CB during the pandemic. An online semi-structured interview was used to collect data that were later submitted to Bardin's content analysis method. Four categories were listed: relationship of emotions with food, BC decision, food in the pandemic and perception of the influence of the pandemic on BC. The results showed that emotions influence eating, and that eating was also influenced during the pandemic, given that participants reported having eaten more. The motivations for performing the BS were health issues, self-acceptance and relationship with family members, but the participants were afraid to perform the procedure due to the pandemic. It is concluded that the pandemic had an impact on the eating behavior of people undergoing BS, but its realization was positive, since obesity was a risk factor for the worsening of COVID-19.