Does living in a food desert impact weight loss after bariatric surgery?

Background: Lower access to fresh foods and lower income level are associated with greater obesity rates.

Objectives: We aim to study if weight loss 1 year after bariatric surgery is associated with living in areas defined as food deserts, that is, low access to foods and lower income.

Setting: Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital System, Richmond, VA; Academic Center.

Methods: Review of consecutive patients who underwent primary bariatric surgery in a single institution. Patients were studied in groups based the USDA Economic Research Service classification: low access (>1 mile grocery urban setting or >10 miles rural setting), low income (poverty rate ≥20%, or family income <80% of state), food desert (low income and low access), and food secure (neither low income nor low access).

Results: A total of 396 patients had surgery, 89% female, 51% Black. Among those patients, 133 (34%) had LRYGB and 263 (66%) LSG. Twenty-nine percent, 26%, 22%, and 23% were defined as low access, low income, food desert, or food secure, respectively. Factors independently associated with inferior excess BMI loss at 1 year were LSG, Black race, being single, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Conclusions: Living in a food desert was not associated with inferior weight loss after bariatric surgery. It suggests that patients can overcome these barriers to attain appropriate weight loss 1 year after surgery.