Cited by 219Bariatric Surgery and OutcomesRegulation of Appetite and ObesityEating Disorders and Behaviors

Hedonic Hunger is Increased in Severely Obese Patients and is Reduced After Gastric Bypass Surgery

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Schultes, Bernd, Ernst, Barbara, Wilms, Britta, Thurnheer, Martin, Hallschmid, Manfred·2010·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Abstract

Background Overeating as a pathogenetic hallmark of obesity may be promoted by an increase in hedonic hunger, ie, the drive to eat palatable foods in the absence of energy need. Gastric bypass surgery, which effectively reduces severe obesity, might also affect hedonic hunger.Objective The objective was to assess hedonic hunger in severely obese patients with and without a history of gastric bypass surgery.Design Severely obese patients who had not undergone gastric bypass surgery (n = 123), gastric bypass patients (n = 136), and nonobese control subjects (n = 110) were examined with the Power of Food Scale (PFS)--a questionnaire that reliably measures an individual's motivation to consume highly palatable foods.Results Compared with nonobese control subjects, severely obese patients achieved markedly higher aggregated PFS scores and subdomain scores related to generally available as well as physically present foods (all P < 0.001). On the aggregated score as well in those 2 subdomains, gastric bypass patients scored significantly lower than did non-gastric bypass obese patients (all P < 0.001) and did not differ significantly from the nonobese control group (P > 0.2). In contrast, in the PFS domain concerning food tasted, gastric bypass patients had significantly lower scores than did the nonobese control subjects (P = 0.04) and the severely obese patients (P = 0.008), both of whom did not differ significantly in this measure (P = 0.90).Conclusion In comparison with nonobese control subjects, severely obese patients display a marked increase in hedonic hunger that is not observed in patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, suggesting that the operation normalizes excessive appetite for palatable foods, which may be an important pathophysiologic feature of severe obesity.

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Crossref · 10.3945/ajcn.2009.29007

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Authors
Schultes, B., Ernst, B., Wilms, B., Thurnheer, M., & Hallschmid, M.
Affiliations
Kantonsspital St. Gallen (CH)
Corresponding author
Schultes, Bernd
Venue
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-08
Volume
92
Issue
2
Pages
277-283
ISSN
0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2119245058
Cited by
219
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 19
FWCI
12.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Bariatric Surgery and Outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Keywords
hedonic hunger, morbid obesity, gastric bypass, overeating, palatable food, appetite, Power of Food Scale, bariatric surgery outcomes
MeSH terms
Adult, Appetite Regulation, Female, Food Preferences, Humans, Hunger, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity, Morbid, Surveys and Questionnaires, Reference Values, Gastric Bypass, Taste Perception, Pleasure

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