Assessment of eating habits of patients qualified for bariatric surgery – preliminary research

Introduction: Obesity, due to its prevalence, is considered an epidemic of the 21st century and is characterized by the accumulation of excess body fat. The following are more common in people with obesity: coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis, and neoplastic diseases. Current treatments have turned out to be ineffective, and the resulting weight loss is usually short-term. Bariatric surgery, combined with lifestyle changes in the form of modification of eating habits and increased physical activity, has been recognized as the most effective method of treating patients with morbid obesity Aim of the research: To assess the eating habits and frequency of food intake of patients qualified for bariatric surgery. Material and methods: The study was conducted among 48 patients with obesity staying at the Department of General, Oncological, and Endocrinological Surgery of the Provincial Polyclinic Hospital in Kielce, Poland. The study used the KomPAN questionnaire, developed by the Team of Behavioural Determinants of Nutrition of the Committee for Nutrition Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Results: Almost 90% of patients scored low on the ‘healthy diet index’. Only 12% of patients consumed wholemeal bread and/or thick groats every day. Additionally, 6% of the subjects drank milk every day, 4% fermented milk drinks, and 35% consumed cottage cheese several times a week. Similarly, most patients (including all people aged > 40 years) scored low on the ‘unhealthy diet index’ (approx. 96% of the group). Only 16.7% of all patients had good nutritional knowledge, while 77.1% – regardless of the obesity class – had sufficient knowledge. Conclusions: The low scores of the healthy diet index indicate the need for regular dietary consultations, during which patients will be educated about the use of nutritional knowledge and the application of healthy eating principles in practice.